Light in the Darkest Place
by JustUandMe
Summary: Alexandra Vause, a being doomed to govern the Shadow Lands in a world increasingly beset by darkness, will see her power subdued by the arrival of a young woman who will arise in her feelings never felt before. Her end is imminent so she will have to make a decision: to quench the cause of her weakness or to surrender to the inevitable. Rated M for sexual content and violence
1. Chapter 1

**COMPLETE SUMMARY:**

Alexandra Vause, a being doomed to govern the Shadow Lands and impose punishment on those people who have committed the worst crimes does not fear anything, as she herself is the most fearful thing for the human kind. In a world increasingly beset by darkness, her power will be subdued unexpectedly by the arrival of a young woman who will arise in her feelings never felt before, as well as a boundless dread. When realizing that the end of darkness is imminent, she will have to make the decision of her existence: to quench the cause of her weakness or to surrender to the unavoidable advance of light, both at the highest price.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Hello! First of all, if you are reading this, I want to say thank you! It means a lot to me that you have taken the time to give me a chance. Second of all…I think it's important to clarify that English is not my first language, so surely, you will find some misspellings along the way (I hope not LOTS XD well…who am I lying? Maybe you will find lots of them) which brings me to the third point…I want you to feel free to correct me, because mainly, I decided to write this story to practice my English he he he. Now, talking a little more about the story, I want to make it clear that this is purely for fun…I've been thinking about this idea for a while, one day I started to write about it and this is the result. The idea, I must say, it might not be very original; you will find a lot of references to other stories (movies, tv series, books, whatever) but like I said, I'm just doing this for fun, not for a profit (yeah! I wish) so I do not see crime with using other things for inspiration…

Needless to say, this is 100% Vauseman because…well, I really don't think I need to explain the reason why, they're just too awesome, period. The reading dynamics will be always the same: one chapter from Alex's POV and the next one from Piper's POV…and so on, although there could be some exceptions throughout the story, I still don't know ;). Also, I appreciate feedback, so you are free to comment, criticize, suggest, come up with an idea, hate or love the story, I don't care; I will take it ALL constructively.

P.S: We are talking about Vauseman so, rated M scenes are coming, just be patient…

Also, if you have read the synopsis, you will have realized that this is completely fantasy, with magic and in an alternate world etc etc…so if you do not like this genre, think about it twice before reading ;)

Without further delay…Here is the first chapter, from Alex's POV. Have fun and don't forget to comment ;)

 **CHAPTER I (Alex POV)**

I would always remember the time I went into the deepest part of the forest searching for answers. In my hands laid the most powerful and dangerous magic ever known by humankind, still, the power of prophecy was beyond my grasp. The memory would remained engraved in my mind forever, in spite of having already happened decades ago, though at this point I could not say with certainty how much time had passed because, some time ago, I had stopped following the trail of time as the concept of time itself becomes obsolete at some point for one who attains immortality.

That part of the world remained in a perennial darkness that sheltered the most dreaded and horrifying creatures, the most repulsive humans that had been expelled from their own kingdoms as punishment for their deplorable acts and condemned to wander in this world of shadows, that, if they could stay alive of course, or if I decided that they deserved the chance to keep breathing. Few brave men, or stupid men in my opinion, had dared into the darkness, in search of gallant adventures to tell, although none lived to do so, or at least they did not find the way out. But I had nothing to fear, as I was the owner of darkness, nor the most terrible monster would dare to face me, but even so, every time I wandered through the woods, I could not help but feel overwhelmed by the stillness of the place, so devoid of life; the basic instinct of survival from my previous self was still rooted in my interior, making me look over my shoulder from time to time.

It did not take me long to find the place, helped a little by my magic that guided me to places where I had never been. In the dim light I observed a cavernous structure on the eastern slope of the mountain known as The dwelling of the Dragon, it was the place chosen by the dragons to lay their eggs according to the legend, but dragons were then extinct for thousands of years. I approached towards the opening of the main cave, where a wooden door tried to cover the entrance poorly. I entered without permission; I did not need it after all, everything and everyone within the confines of the shadows belonged to me. The atmosphere inside the cave was cold and wet with a heavy stale odor that made me wrinkle my nose. I was guided by the light of the torch I carried, but I did not have to walk much…a nearby voice stopped me a few meters away startling me…

"Are you afraid of darkness?" Someone said mockingly. I turned to the source of the sound slightly irritated for such a statement I was not afraid of anything. The torchlight did not seem to be enough to visualize the owner of the voice, which was a mixture between an old woman and a little girl, so I got closer to it…

"It's not my fault that nobody can see anything in this deplorable pigsty" I said with great contempt while scrutinizing the place, getting closer to the voice

"I beg your pardon my lady…my intention was not to offend you; as you will understand, the dark is not a problem for me" giving me no time to reply the voice continued "Your visit is a great honor for me; we had not yet had a chance to meet, but I knew that this day would come; sooner or later even the lords of darkness end up needing my services" I was already close enough as to identify the small figure, sitting in a rocking chair… "What is it that you want?" The voice inquired

"I thought you'd already know" A loud laugh filled the room

" _HAHAHAHA_ " the strong laughter turned into a hoarse coughing "Of course I know…" It finally said after the coughs were over "I was just looking for some conversation, I receive few visits and sometimes I feel lonely around here"

"Let's just cut to the chase before I cut your throat wide open" I was not in the mood for jokes and this creature was known to have great liking to tease people; but not me, she would not dare to tease me if she wanted to stay alive, if _that_ could be called life…

"No need for that my lady; besides I know that such a thing will never happen, I have certain knowledge about my own death" the creature released another round of laughter intermingled with a cough that took its breath away "…but as you wish…" It continued saying "I will not waste your precious time…you'll need to get closer to me" the creature said settling into the chair in a more comfortable way; I did as asked and stood just a step away from that strange thing, watching it carefully from above "you are too tall, you're going to have to bend down" I knelt reluctantly; my face was at the height of a countenance covered by a hood. The figure leaned forward to me, the stale smell intensified at this, to the point that I had to hold my breath; I did not need it anyway. The thing retired its hood uncovering its face…it had the aspect of a human little girl though the eye sockets were black holes, with nothing inside…I had to suppress a gasp of surprise, the image was creepy, but I had seen worse things

"You are nothing but a human girl" I said trying not to sound too impress…the girl let out a slight chuckle…

"And what were you expecting?"

"I don't know" I honestly said "But definitely not this"

"Do not let yourself be guided by what you see, I'm not a girl…I'm older than I look hahaha…shall we?" The girl raised her hands to put them in front of my sight, a silent request…I had some knowledge about how it worked; I clenched my jaw determined to continue with this, regardless of the outcome

"Do it!" I commanded and the girl obeyed, putting her little hands on my cheeks.

I had barely felt the cold palms wrapping my face for less than a second, when suddenly my senses faded. No smell, no sound, no touch, no taste, and no sight…total emptiness. A complete sense of vulnerability filled me and something that I could only define as uncertainty. After a moment that seemed like hours, little by little the senses returned to me. I found myself holding tightly to the girl's thin forearms, so as not to lose balance…I felt exhausted…not able to speak, I even had the strange need to catch my breath…

"What the hell was that?" I demanded to know grasping the girl's arms more tightly; I was not used to feeling so weak, what had she done to me? I wondered with suspicion

"I'm sorry for that, I know it's not a very nice experience…but I had to do it to see through you, to understand your true concerns and be able to glimpse your future" it was difficult to read the face of that creature that lacked eyes…I could read people easily just by look at them in the eyes, still, I sensed some air of concern in her eyeless features, which gave me goose bumps

"What did you see?" I tried not to sound anxious

"The dawn" the girl said after a few seconds under her breath, as if she was afraid to say that simple word out loud

"The dawn?" I echoed as a question, without understanding the intensity of my interlocutor

"The end of…darkness…starts with you" the girl fixed her hollow eyes on my face and though it was physically impossible I could feel the intensity of her non-existence gaze over my face

\- The end of darkness?" I asked incredulously, how could that be possible? "Ha! That's just nonsense!" I got up abruptly, releasing my grip on the girl's arms

"It is not! I saw it…the light bathing even the darkest corners of this kingdom…" she expressed with her hands in the air

"It's impossible!" I was not going to tolerate those words, much less believe in them "Darkness encompasses everything around us! You can climb to the top of this mountain and wherever you look, darkness is all there is…but of course you could not see it with your own eyes!" I said with disdain; this unpleasant creature had wasted my time

"And tell me…what is darkness but the absence of light?" She asked me with a tone impregnated with wisdom "Look around you! Not even this dark and cold hole under tons of stones that is my home can resist the feeble light of your torch…" I looked around trying to understand her words "and then they say I'm the blind one! HA!" she laughed bitterly

"I _am_ the darkness" I said stubbornly "even with the light of a thousand torches around me!" My voice became grave, full of authority

"Believe what you want then!" The creature said angrily "But the day will come; the light will come to you in the most unsuspected way, and for when you know it you will not be able to stop her!" she shouted, taking a deep breath at the end of the sentence to sum up saying with a resigned voice "You are doomed to let her in and it will be the end of darkness as we know it" a deathly silence filled the space, only the soft sizzle of fire coming from the torch that was beginning to die out…I took the silence to think about what I had been told, _could she be right? Could the darkness be extinguished?_ And most importantly… _What kind of force could be fierce enough as to fight the darkness and win?_ I had a thousand questions to ask, but my lips formed only one…

"When?" I dared to ask after a moment. I had come for this, I needed to know when my torturous existence would end; life had lost all meaning and nothing ever seemed to satisfy me. Still, I was afraid to hear the answer

"That I could not tell" the voice of the girl sounded tired "the only thing that my predictions do not allow is to know when things are going to happen; it could be tomorrow, in five moons or a century who knows. But I know for sure that they will occur"

Without getting a satisfying answer to the only question I had asked, there was no point in continuing in that place. I felt exhausted and wanted to go home as soon as possible, leaving this horrible hole behind. I looked around again; taking in the surroundings with more attention…How could anyone or anything live in this place?

"How can you live in these conditions?" I said without thinking, motivated by a genuine curiosity

"I do what I can to survive…" the girl said with a sad smile that stirred something close to sympathy in the depths of my being. Very rarely did these feelings appear in me

"I could send someone to clean this place and make it more…welcoming, send you enough food regularly and some company if you need it" I offered out of pity. A smile emanated from the girl´s thin lips

"Thank you my Lady, nobody had ever done anything for me, you are very generous, _nothing_ like your predecessors" I said nothing in return wondering the meaning of those last words "Will you come to visit me again?" the girl finished

"You probably know that better than I do…" I said with a bored tone

"Ohhh yes…! We will definitely meet again your ladyship…thank you for your visit…have a safe ride home" she laughed at her joke and with that I disappeared shrouded in shadows, leaving behind that creepy place, that creepy girl, and those words that would creep in my mind forever…Even then, after so many years…

I was resting in my usual place, in a burgundy velvet armchair in front of the large fireplace in the big library. The hypnotic dance of the flames always made me calm down somehow. Without wanting to, I evoked every detail of that distant night in the cave…How much time has passed? I wondered…since then, I had remained expectant, even paranoid, waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled; but the moons passed, the years passed, decades…and nothing happened. Sometimes I cursed myself for going to that cave; I was tormented by the answers without response. There used to be a time when I even envied the power to see the future, but now, with this little piece of information about my own future, I understood the weight of such power. As far as I knew, or at least what rumors said, the creature had torn her eyes out with her own hands in an act of madness, convinced that this way she would be unable to see the future…of course, it did not work, as her power did not emanate from her sight but from her mind…

"No wonder she pulled her eyes out" I murmured sarcastically under my breath before taking a sip of wine

"Did my lady say anything?" A familiar voice said taking me by surprise. I did not expect anyone's company tonight

"I was talking to myself…I think I remember ordering to be alone" I said slightly irritated by her presence

"I know what my lady said" I could sense the woman approaching behind me "but I thought maybe I could help you feel better" the woman posed her hands suggestively on my shoulders

"I did not ask such thing Sylvie" although sometimes it was nice to play with the woman, as she helped me to satisfy my primal instincts in the most willingly manner, I was not in the mood tonight

"Ohhh come on…" the woman said with seductive voice as she walked around the chair to stop right in front of me; she untied her robe allowing me to see her naked torso "you have not paid me attention in days" she ended up saying while straddling me in the big chair, intruding my hair with her fingers "let me cheer you up" she leaned toward me and I let her kiss me…desperate to feel something, but it was an empty kiss; I had tried, with Sylvie and countless other girls who had served me over so many years, but at some point, the feelings that those girls provided me became monotonous, sometimes even tedious, like now

"Sylvie" I broke the kiss…"I'm not in the mood" I stated with a tone that the woman knew well, because she stopped immediately and got up from the chair in an offended manner, her face burning by rejection

"Of course my lady" she bowed frigidly "as always, your wishes are orders" she spat those words with venom and left…

Again alone I began to question my situation with Sylvie…of course, she meant nothing for me, after all, Sylvie was just another servant, more than disposed to comply with all my demands, as I could not expect less from a servant, but it was obvious that Sylvie had taken the whole situation too personally, she was infatuated with me and this began to bother me …I had to find a solution and soon, and it had to be a subtle one because she was not an easy going person. I mulled about it taking the last sips of my wine glass when I heard the call…a man's voice from a distant place intertwined with the hoot of the wind

"Aaarrrgghhh! And now what!?" I snarled…"Can't I have a moment of peace?" _No, of course not_ I answered to myself

I wanted to ignore the call, I could do it, but the habits were really hard to break; I could never resist the temptation to make a deal with a desperate person and always ended up giving up, besides, the curiosity to know who was miserable enough to require my services always prevailed over anything else. After my little internal debate and as always, I ended up embracing my nature

"Damn it!" I sighed defeated at my lack of willpower…I faded instantly in search of the petitioner, _he better not waste my precious time_ …

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thank you so much for reading. If the reception is positive, I will upload the second chapter very very soon, in less than a day...This first chapter is a little short...but tha's how it turned out. Next chapters will last longer as the story goes...Well, now tell me...What do you think of it? ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello again! And thank you for keep reading. I have made a small change in the format. I received a couple of reviews of people recommending me to use "speech marks"for the dialogues (I know them as quotation marks...but that's not the point XD) Anyways, I appreciate the advise because indeed is easier to read this way. So, sorry for the previous chapter in case you found it confusing to read...

 **CHAPTER II (Piper POV)**

The luxurious throne room was packed with people; although I was more than accustomed to this place, it never ceased to amaze me the greatness of it. The lords of the main houses were discussing the perilous fate of the kingdom, around the elongated central table covered with hundreds of maps and letters. I stood my ground at the back of the room, learning everything I could from a distance. It was not a place for a woman, as my mother had told me, but on the contrary, my father always let me take part in these meetings, even encourage me to participate, but tonight was different. We were on the edge of the abyss, on the verge of losing a war that would forever change the destiny of the kingdom, my kingdom. I could distinguish my father's voice easily above the screaming, loaded with the authority of a king

"My lords! I beg you to reconsider!, we cannot lock ourselves in our castles while our people are being massacred!" My father had always taught me that caring for the people was the most important duty of a King. Lately, he had reinforced his attempts to pass me all possible information on the management of a kingdom. My brothers had recently perished in battle, making me the only heiress, the future bearer of the crown, as long as the current war was resolved in our favor, of course

"And what does my king suggest?" Lord Bloom, my future father-in-law demanded to know, but without giving time for his king to reply, he went on to say "My son, my sole heir is out there leading all the forces of my house…I gave it all for this war, but we are outnumbered…It is time to withdraw our soldiers and prepare for the siege, we cannot fight them in the field!" A round of approvals rang loudly throughout the room

"What are you implying my dear friend? That I have not given everything? My two sons fell bravely in battle, and not in vain, since they managed to tithe the first attackers, earning us time to organize!" The heated conversation was interrupted with a slamming door; we all turned to see who had entered through the front door…

"My dear son!" Lord Bloom exclaimed and cut the distance to his son in few trenches to wrap him in his arms

"Father!" Larry, my betrothed, returned the hug to Lord Bloom before acknowledging the rest of the people "My lords!" He bowed firmly after breaking the embrace with his father

A sense of disappointment enveloped my soul; what was wrong with me? Did I desire in the depths of my being the death of my fiancé? I was disgusted by my own thoughts and felt an infinite sense of guilt and sinfulness

"What news do you bring?" my father, the king, asked him cutting to the chase

"I'm afraid your highness that they are not good" he said fearing his king's fury

"Say it" my father was resigned

"We are about to lose control over the passage of the river, our last line of defense…"

"And what are you doing here?" my father delivered the words slowly to him

"I'm here to bring the news…"

"Oh! So now you are the scrap boy!? Your place is there with your men! Who have you left in charge you idiot?!" I knew my father had a temper, bud I had never seen him so angry

"My second man your highness…" Larry hesitated

"You coward!" My father was astonished

He had never liked his son-in-law, but house Bloom was the most consolidated after my own house, but not thanks to its present Lord, and much less for its future successor, but for the great late Lord Bloom…My marriage with the future Lord Bloom was key to the kingdom's stability, and he had to accede to the deal over his personal opinions on his future son-in-law, and over mine. Lord Bloom intervened in favor of his son…

"My son is not a coward!" he said annoyed

While Lord Bloom filled his mouth with nice words for his son I noticed a change in the room, the temperature fell sharply and a shiver ran down my spine. I looked around, searching for an open window but they were all closed. None of the lords seemed to have detected the change; they were too immersed in their discussions to notice

"He has fought gallantly…" Lord Bloom continued to flatter his son when a hoarse laugh shook every corner of the great room

"HAHAHAHA…"

Everybody turned around searching for the source of the laughter. It came from the other end of the room, where I could vaguely perceive a tall shape surrounded by smoking shadows that vanished within seconds. A woman's silhouette framed by a black cloak with a broad hood that hid her face…

"Gallantly?" The entity asked in a velvety deep voice that sent shivers all over my body "You should have seen him hidden under sacks of rotten potatoes…and if you don't believe me get closer to him and smell him" The words made me bite my lips to hold back a laugh, trying really hard to have some manners, he was my fiancé after all, I should not laugh at him, but the others laughed without dissimulation. Who was this mysterious stranger? I wanted to know…

"Who the hell are you?" Larry addressed the same question, slightly blushed with embarrassment

"Oh! I'm so sorry gentlemen…forgive my lack of manners, let me introduce myself…" she put a pale hand on her chest "My name is Lady Alexandra Vause…" She bowed exaggeratedly as a mockery. Her name caused an exchange of looks and words spoken in whispers…nobody had ever heard her name. Lady Alexandra Vause exhaled the deepest of sighs and continue to speak "I know I know…Maybe my name does not ring a bell in your heads, but maybe you know me by my sobriquet…I'm widely recognized as The Warden of the Dark" this time she did not bow, but remained superb in all her height. No one in the room dared to say a word; the only thing that was heard was the sound of a broken glass against the ground that probably slipped from the numb hand of some lord, and after a moment a lord exclaimed…

"But…but you are a woman" incredulously horrified

"I am?" She said as if shocked "Man alive! I have been living in ignorance for years!…" She added sarcastically "But enough of nonsense, I understand that you are in a, let's call it, uncomfortable situation" she giggled joyfully "and for what I can see, you have no time to lose so tell me…what is it that you want from me?"

"We want nothing from you!" To my surprise, Larry was the first one to break the silence, addressing the woman directly

"Take it easy potato boy…I did not invite myself to come…Someone in this very room dared to invoke my name" those words made everyone look at each other with suspicious eyes, looking for someone to blame…a fight broke out instantly when the glances turned into accusatory words

"Nobody has said your name!" another Lord pointed out

"That's true…but words are not necessary, just to think about it is more than enough" she said with mischief, and again, the atmosphere began to gradually fill with accusations

"Enough!" The king ordered and everyone was silent in unanimity "I did it! I am the responsible for invoking the darkness…" My father confessed "I'm sorry, I did not do it on purpose" I could see the embarrassment on his face, knowing that this kind of trickery was not proper of a king. Everyone in the room seemed to have something to say but my father kept the right to speak "I know it was not right and I apologize, it was just a slip of my mind in such a desperate situation" the lords again exchanged diverse opinions

"Does that mean that you are not interested in my services?" The mysterious woman asked

"I'm afraid we are not, my…my Lady" My father addressed her with respect

"Are you sure about it? because it seems like you could really use some help" she began to walk slowly towards the end of the table where my father was. She moved with the grace of a feline; I had to even look down because I could swear that her feet did not touch the floor

"I'm…I'm sure about it, I do not want any kind of association with you, with all due respect" my father remained firm in his decision

"I understand…the thing is that I do not like when people waste my precious time" she uttered in a silky tone that for some reason made the words sound more menacing than anything I had ever heard "So I ask you to reconsider listening to what I can offer" she stopped at a stone's throw from my father, who was beginning to look anxious by the proximity of the dark being. I could feel the growing tension around me and the silence prevailing throughout the room; all eyes were on my father and everybody seemed to hold their breaths expectants to the words of their king…

"Everybody…get out" my father ordered and all the Lords obeyed "Not you Lord Bloom" He added, and even when he did not say the name of his future son-in-law, Larry stood firm in his place and did not leave the room. I observed the whole exchange at a safe distance, safeguarded by the shadow of a great column. I felt an excessive desire to get closer, inexplicably attracted by that creature and her velvety voice, which seemed made to lure people into her tricks, but I did not dare to move a finger. When everyone had left my father began reluctantly "Let's say…I need your help…would you really be able to bring peace to our kingdom?"

"Yes, I am…I could end all your problems faster than you can imagine" although I could not see her face, I could hear a smile in her words

"And how do I know that you'll keep true to your words?" my father asked with distrust

"I will collect what corresponds to me only after carrying out my part of the deal…believe me, you will be very pleased with the results…but of course, what you are asking for has a very high cost…" she finished with a honeyed voice

"Don't listen to it!" Lord Bloom interfered "Do not deal with the devil! The kingdom will be ruined!"

"The kingdom is already ruined Lord Bloom, if you have a better idea I'm all ears…" Lord Bloom did not say a word "There is no other way to win this war" the tired voice of my father worried me to the bone

"A wise choice your majesty" the dark being purred "We only have one thing less to discuss…my price…and if you are willing to pay for it of course"

"Put a price…I…I have gold, properties, jewels…" My father's voice was interrupted by a burst of laughter

"HAHAHAHAHAHA…Gold? Jewels? Properties!?" She exclaimed in disbelief "What are you taking me for? A fair seller?" she sounded truly offended "I'm so sorry your highness, but such things are worth nothing to me, I have more than I could spend in all eternity"

"Then what do you want?" My father demanded to know bewildered…if she was not interested in such things, what did she want?

"The payment for my services is all about sacrifices, there's nothing as banal as the value of gold…"

"Sacrifices uh?" my father meditated… "What about my life?" He offered. I was about to leave the shelter of the column, under no circumstance would I allow my father to do such a thing; but I stopped my feet immediately when I heard the response of Lady Alexandra

"Oh no no no…my good friend…nobody doubts that it would be a sacrifice worthy of a king, but in your case it would mean nothing. I can see the kindness of your person; you would give your life for your people without hesitation, therefore the concept of sacrifice would be meaningless for you" she explained

"Then, what do you want?" he barely whispered afraid to hear the answer

"It's not up to me to decide, but I can help you find the answer right in your heart; tell me Bill…" it was weird to hear someone referring to my father by his first name. She placed a pale hand on his chest, right above his heart, and leaned forward to whisper something in his ear but I couldn't hear it from where I stood

My father's face turned white as milk, and had to stretch a hand to rest on the table looking for support; words did not leave his mouth, but the dark entity seemed to find the answer…

"Ohhhh…" she exhaled "I'm sorry Bill" she withdrew her hand from his chest, and he collapsed and fell to the ground…

"Father!" I screamed, and this time I could not contain myself and ran to him. I crouched beside him holding his head "What have you done to him?" I demanded to know to that strange creature that watched me from above

"Fear not my princess…the king is just a little dizzy" strangely the voice comforted me, I believed every word…

"Piper…" my father was coming back from the fainting… "Get out of here…stay away from it" he said trying to rise weakly and I helped him up

"Father, what's going on?" I asked facing him full of worry…he took my face with determination and assured me that nothing bad was going to happen to me…why would he say that?

"Oh relax Bill! Don't be melodramatic!" The woman intervened jokingly "I will not do anything to your beautiful daughter…I could not take her by force; you would have to sign the deal…"

"And I will not, ever!" My father recomposed his force and pulled me strongly to put me behind his back, as to protect me with his own body "I should have never invoked you; you are nothing but a demoniac entity that feeds on the grief of others…"

"I should be offended by your words, but they have done nothing but to flatter me" she considered amused

"Get out! Now!" I couldn't recognize my father's voice in that moment

"No need to shout, I heard you clear and loud…my king" She bowed, after which she directed at me "My princess, a pity we do not have more time to get to know each other" she said with blatant mischief before turning around to face Lord Bloom and his son, both remained frozen in their positions "Gentlemen! My work here is over…I wish you all lots of luck, though it will probably only provide you one more dawn; let's hope it is not cloudy so at least you can enjoy it…and remember…if you don't want to die today, think about me" with that she disappeared as fast as the morning mist with the hit of the sun, leaving behind the echo of her laughter

"What the hell!" Larry exclaimed getting closer to us "Are you alright?" he grabbed me by my shoulders, his touch always seemed foreign for me

"Yes we are fine" my father responded brusquely for both of us

"Was that thing asking for Piper as a price? My fiancé? How did she dare to ask such thing?" he looked towards his king

"Yes, her life" My father looked at me with affectionate eyes "My beloved daughter, I just couldn't do it" Why would she want me? I wanted to ask but ended up asking something else

"Don't you think I should have a say in the subject?" I asked him

"What?" he was bewildered

"I…I could have done it father…" I said sincerely; If I had known I would have considered it, for the kingdom's sake

"Are you out of your mind!? How was I going to let that thing to put a hand on you?"

"You are the one who taught me that the kingdom was above all things…that a true king should always be willing to give his life for his people…"

"My life, not yours…" he interrupted me "It is done anyway, the decision has been made. We will fight to death, but we will not make pacts with that evil thing"

"I agree with you my king" Lord Bloom said "Now please, I beg you to reconsider the withdrawal, let's close the gates and prepare for the siege" after moments of deliberation my father decided to follow Lord Bloom's advice

"All right then…nonetheless I don't think there's nothing more to do" there was only resignation in his voice "Piper, my sweet daughter, listen to me" he caught my face between his hands with determination "Find your mother and ask her to help you…It is essential that you bring all the women and children of the castle together and take them to the central tower and raise the bridges…take everything you can to feed; water, non-perishable foods, clothing, firewood…you are smart, you've always been, you'll know what to do" his watery eyes were fixed on mine "I'm sorry my dear, I'm sorry to have been a disappointment as a father…as a King, I could not even protect the kingdom for you"

"Father" I stopped him from talking "you were willing to give your life for your kingdom…your heart is filled with nothing but kindness; everything I am, I am only for you, and what I feel for you right now is very far from disappointment, I'm proud to be your daughter, and in these moments of uncertainty I will carry out my responsibilities just as you have taught me…you'll be proud of me

"I'm already proud of you my dear. Be brave!" he leaned to kiss me on my forehead

"I'll be brave until the last moment, I swear it father" I vowed with a certainty that froze my blood

"My sweet girl" he smiled sadly, tears leaving his eyes, but I was determined not to shed a tear, I wanted to show him how brave I could be

"I love you father" it was difficult to deliver those words with the lump in my throat

"And I love you my little frog" he embraced me like never before and let me go after whispering in my ear "Go!"

I did as I was told and ran away out of the room, leaving behind the voice of my father already delivering orders to his men who were waiting outside in the hall. I heard other steps behind me; I could easily imagine who they belonged without having to turn around so I hurried on…

"Piper!...Piper please wait!" I stopped with my back to him "You're not going to say goodbye to me?/ He asked, pain was clear in his voice and it triggered a pang of guilt in my heart

I was not in love with Larry, in fact, I felt for him something close to hatred. But this was not the poor guy's fault. He was even a good lad; his family was the second most prominent of the kingdom. We had known each other since childhood and even at some point I came to consider him my friend. All that changed the day my father told me that I was meant to marry him when we grew up; I was barely 13 years old when I received the news that my future had already been settled. I was furious about it for a long time and only when I was old enough to understand my father's reasons, I was able to forgive him, still, that didn't mean that I had agreed with the decision, and I never would have. I had even tried to feel something for him, to give him an opportunity, but I had long since stopped trying, and the situation had become too uncomfortable with him; I hated his visits, I hated his talks and his jokes…he could not wake anything inside of me except for boredom. What made the situation even less bearable was to know that he was hopelessly in love with me, so I always felt forced to accept his gallantry with great courtesy and pretend to be flattered, until now. Probably, everyone was going to die, so the last thing I wanted to do was to pretend…so I turned around to face him, determined to tell him the truth, but I decided against it in the last second when I saw his silly face admiring me as a work of art…I sighed deeply…Do not do this to him, don't be mean…I told to myself

"Larry" I tried to say his name sweetly but it came out as a grimace "I'm sorry, of course, I just…I've got so much in my mind, I guess it's just too hard for me to say goodbye to you" I lied, but he did not seem to notice

"Piper, my true and only love" oh, so cheesy. He came closer and held my hands "I love you and have always loved you, even since we were kids I knew I wanted to spend my life by your side, I wanted you to be the mother of my children and make you happy so desperately. Our happiness has been shortened by the cruel destiny; I am so sorry my love that we have come to this. The only hope I have left is to believe that there is something beyond this life and find you again, our love will never die, we will always meet again, I promise" he finally finished. It was probably the longest speech I had ever heard from him and I was speechless, I had nothing to say because I felt for him the furthest thing from what he felt for me

"Larry…" I tried to say something nice in return but did not know how to continue "I…I…" a voice at the end of the hall called for him urgently, just in the nick of time, I had never been so grateful to heavens "You have to go, and I have to go too" I urged him

"Just one more thing" he grabbed me by my waist taking me off guard "Kiss me, for good luck" he closed his eyes and leaned in toward me. There was nothing I wanted to do less than kissing Larry, but after the speech he had said was the least I could do, and this way I would not have to use words…you can do it Piper, is just a kiss, you spent all of your childhood kissing frogs! Do it…I closed my eyes and leaned in to press my lips against his stoically. I felt an unpleasant wetness trying to push its way between my lips. I had to push him away pretending dizziness…

"Oh Larry…" I released myself from his grasp and said the last thing I would say to him "Good luck!" I wished him sincerely and began to run again leaving him perplexed, but I couldn't care less

As I ran, I remembered the last orders of my father, but my body inadvertently changed the direction I was headed to, and instead of going after my mother, I went to my room. In my mind a new plan had been formed…I can save them all…I thought… _I will save them all_


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello everybody! I'm really happy about your "reviews/follows/favorites", each one of them means the world to me, so I want to thank you for your support in all its forms...I owe a special mention to **giaM94** for taking the time to sign in and following the story "officially" hehehe ;). Without further delay, here's the third chapter. As always, I hope it meets your expectations. Don't forget to comment!

 **CHAPTER III (Alex POV)**

After been expelled by the King so rudely, the most logical thing would have been to return to my palace, but as the king himself would have told me, I was a demoniac entity that feeds on the grief of others and right now grief overflowed all over the castle; I just had to wait for the right moment and maybe tonight I'd get a good deal. I wandered around the rooms, across the halls, sheltering in the shadows to not be seen, that's how I used to remain invisible; people never questioned the shadows.

What I didn't expect was to feel the prayer so soon, and as always, I manifested myself before my caller…I appeared in an elegant room, slightly illuminated by the radiance of a few candles and the light of the moon on its zenith; I looked around and took the liberty of taking a seat in a relaxed manner, my legs crossed with ease and my arms resting to both sides on the armrest. I perceived the delicate silhouette of a woman, whom I recognized immediately despite being on her back, looking through a large window. Her golden hair was tucked into a loose bun from which some locks of hair escaped to fall rebelliously on her shoulders

"I was waiting to be called" I said in a low voice, causing the woman to turn startled letting out a gasp "But I definitely did not expect _you_ to be the one to call…it's nice to see you again"

"Do you always appear without a warning?" The princess asked somehow irritated for being taken by surprise. Under the beam of the moon, her blue eyes seemed to give out their own light "You could at least knock on the door or something…and I have not invited you to take a seat" her imperious behavior gave me an easy smile _the princess has claws_ I thought

"I apologize for my bad manners your highness" it was an empty apology delivered only to play along with the princess "I do not usually deal with people of such a rank" I stood up and straighten myself before bowing soberly

"Apologies accepted" the princess said snobbishly and I had to suppress a laugh "I guess you already know why I called you" she continued without realizing that she had been teased

"I bet it has something to do with the tens of thousands of barbarians who are now crossing your last line of defense, and like your father…you want to save the kingdom from its certain desolation…Am I wrong?"

"No...and maybe my father was not able to pay the price…but I am willing to do it"

"You are?" I was impressed by the certainty of her words

"Yes, I am…so, take my life" now I was confused

"Your life?" Why would I want to take her life?

"I am the price, right?" she said as if it was the most obvious thing

"Well…surely, you are of great value" I imagined all the ways in which the princess could pay the price "However, that's the deal I made with your father, and you cannot take his place in the negotiation"

"But…my father said that you wanted my..." I interrupted her impatiently

"Yes, yes your life…but you were _his_ price…" I explained "if you are willing to make a new deal with me in order to save your kingdom, we would have to agree on another form of payment"

"What…what do you mean?"

"As I explained to your father, each request comes with a sacrifice, in this case a great one because of the magnitude of what I'll have to do in order to comply with your petitions" I patiently explained to the princess, who was watching me closely with a severe face

"I…I understand…so, let's say…in the event that I agree to make a deal with you…what would you ask for as payment?" I already had her in the palm of my hand…I was positive that I would come to an agreement with the princess, which I could not do with the king. I could literally smell the feebleness of people in a negotiation, some people were more easily manipulated than others

"In that case" I delivered in my most seductive voice and ever so slowly I began to walk towards her "I'll ask you a simple question and you'll answer me with nothing but your heart" I stopped a few inches from her and reached out to lay a hand on her chest. My cold hand was tempered as it came in contact with her warm skin, deliciously exposed by the heart-shaped neckline of her dress. As I leaned in I noticed the princess containing her breath…almost brushing the outside of her ear with my lips, I whispered the question I always asked to those who sought for my favors "What does your heart cherish the most?"

I backed up slightly to study her face; I was able to discern the answer to the question looking into the eyes of the petitioners while holding my hand over their hearts. It was my way of being sure they paid a fair price and of course, of not being cheated by them. However, in her blue eyes, I found nothing but a battle of doubts; nothing was comprehensible in her heart…it was very common among the youngest; they were never clear about what they wanted. In that moment the young woman surfaced in me a feeling of sympathy; I had once been like her. I sighed deeply and withdrew my hand; it was useless to keep looking for an answer

"What is it?" she asked with avid curiosity and eyes wide open

"I cannot know if you don't know…" I uttered with kindness, although kindness was a rather scarce quality in me

"What!? Are you implying that I do not know what I want?" she said annoyed

"It is not my job to imply" I tried to calm her spirits "my job is to perceive"

"Then maybe you should consider find another job, because obviously you're not very good at _this_ " she said with haughtiness while waving her hand between us to signal _this_. No one would have lived after such insolence towards the darkness itself, but for some extraordinary reason I found the young woman even amusing

"Do you have any idea who you're dealing with and what I'm capable of doing?" I said in a menacing voice, to see if it served the young woman as a warning, and it seemed to work as fear immediately appeared on her face, aware of her insolence "Since I'm so bad at my job, why don't you enlighten me and just answer my question" I said with superiority, giving her sometime to respond "Uhm?" I insisted after seeing that the princess did not say a word…

"I…I don't know! All right!?" She finally admitted "You…you were right" She conceded to my delight; I loved been right "And what am I supposed to do now? How can I save my kingdom if I don´t even know how to answer a simple question?"

"It's not a simple question" I tried to appease her "As a matter of fact, is the hardest question anyone can face in their lives" _why was I trying to cheer the young woman up?_ I tried to decipher my own motives "Sometimes people are not aware of what they value most until is too late" The young woman seemed absorbed by my words and once more, I approached towards her "Just…don't over think it" I advised her and again placed my hand above the princess' heart

This time the question was not necessary and I just stared into her cerulean eyes, where the answer was beginning to become clear. I was ecstatic when I grasped her thoughts

"That's...a _very_ valuable thing" I murmured with delight. This deal was far more valuable. With the king, I would have obtained the life of the princess; a quick execution and the king would have paid his debt, but this was something else

"No" the princess refused almost inaudible "Not that"

"I'm sorry my dear" I voiced with something close to…compassion? As I took a step back breaking the contact with her

"Do not pretend to feel sorry for me…" I could see the young woman had a prominent pride. I just watched her, giving her time to think. She turned to look out of the window again to observe the chaos that was beginning to seethe at the gates of her castle "Isn't there another choice?" She asked defeated with her back to me

"I'm afraid there isn't…your heart has spoken and I cannot accept less than _that_ " I sentenced

"My father was right…" the princess turned around to face me again "You are a devious wicked creature…" She hissed with loathing

"Then why did you call me for help!?" I exclaimed. Why could not people understand the essence of my labor? "Besides, I did not make up the rules! If you want my help, that's the price you'll have to pay…you are free to say no and stop spending my precious time" I turned abruptly in a gesture to leave

"Wait!" The princess cried with a strangled voice. I smiled triumphantly knowing that I had won and turned to face her "I'll do it...only with a couple of requirements"

"I don't think you are in a position to demand anything" I continued before being interrupted "However…I will listen to your requests as a sign of my good intentions" I purred

"First of all…I would like to be able to see the face of the person to whom I am about to give the very essence of my life…I want to see you in the eye" It was an understandable requirement, so I acceded to it silently

I approached the young woman so she could see me as she had requested, while I reached for the edge of the hood to pull it back. I knew too well the effect my appearance could have on simple mortals; for the human eye, I was beautiful, a magnificence that was far from any ideal that they could have about beauty, some of them had even given me goddess-like attributes, idiots. That's why I hid my face; they could say anything about me, but never that I used trickery to get deals, and my beauty sure could give me the edge in any negotiation. Even so, I was very pleased to see the reaction of the young woman when I left my face exposed in the light of the moon. Her pinkish lips parted, letting out a heavy breath that managed to caress my face warmly; she was astounded

"What?" I asked innocently "Not what you expected, Uh?" I let a cocky smile draw on my face. The princess seemed to get out of her stupor after a moment, leaving a few words out hardly between breaths

"I…I don't know what I was…expecting but…definitely not… this…you're" she seemed to be looking for a word " _Beautiful_ " she whispered. It was a simple word that I had heard thousands of times before, but it seemed to take on a deepest meaning coming from this young woman

"I've been told" I said with false modesty "What else?" I wanted to know what the next requirement was…

"What?" She did not seem to understand the question, still transfixed

"I think you said something about having a couple of requirements; I already fulfilled your first one, now tell me…is there anything else?" the princess seemed to regain the thread of thought

"Oh...Yes…there's…something else" I looked expectantly into her cerulean eyes "I would like to know what…what will happen to me from now on…what…" the princess lowered her gaze before "What are you going to do with me?" With her words I understood that she had already made up her mind, regardless my answer, she had already accepted her destiny

"You will come with me to the Shadow Lands" I began to explain to her "You will give your life to serve me in all the forms that I require. You will be treated with respect and humanity and as long as you remain loyal and obliging the agreement will remain" I watched a tear peek out of the corner of her eye, accentuated by the silver light filtered through the window. On a human impulse that I thought it was lost on me, I drew a hand to wipe the tear that was already running down her soft cheek; I captured it with my fingertip "Don't cry..." I said and encouraged her to look up again placing my index below her chin "You are a brave young woman…you will be remembered by your people with admiration. You must not fear; I promise that you will be safe with me" my words seemed to reassure her as she lifted her face with dignity

"Can you really save my people?" She articulated the question carefully

"You will see it with your own eyes, and only when you are satisfied with my performance, you will commit to your part of the deal, but…" I asserted my tone "be very careful…don't even think you can change your mind after I do my part; I can undo everything in the blink of an eye and make it a thousand times worse, trust me, the last thing you want to do in this life is to unleash my rage by taking me for a fool…are we clear?"

"I will not do such a thing, I give you my word; as soon as I see my people are safe I will put myself at your orders and start paying my debt" she said in a trembling voice, but still her determination was clear; I admired her courage

"Good…" after my warning I softened my tone "Do you want to see how your people are saved?" I offered extending my hand; she looked at it doubtfully, but took it anyway. We walked to the balcony in her bedroom and stepped out into the cool night air "Just watch" I let go of her hand and walked to the railing; she followed me closely. We observed the chaos reigning at the gates; men screaming in pain, shouting orders, and people dying. Hordes of wild men rushing over the entrances to thousands without resistance…

"Do something!" The princess urged me with desperation

"I'm on it" I had already started my work, but it was invisible to her eyes; she could not perceive the shadows dancing above the enemy, until they began to be effective. One by one they began to fall, as struck by arrows in their heads. Disconcerted, those who remained standing began to see around them trying to understand what was attacking them, although they could not think long enough; in less than a minute, all were lying on the floor, as in a perennial dream. The king's men did not believe what was happening. Just like that, my work was done…I turned my head to the side to watch the young girl with a perplexed face, her mouth open "I hope I have met your expectations your highness"I said

"Wow" she exhaled "How did you…? That was…" she faced me in shock

"Just a little trick" I responded unperturbed "Now…Are you ready to fulfill your part of the deal?" She just nodded slowly, agreeing silently. I took her left hand with one hand, while the other hand was looking for the small knife in my belt, with which I sealed the blood pacts. I draw the knife out, making her step back in fear "I'm not going to hurt you" I stared into her scared eyes "Is just a little cut" I assured her; she let me approach her, taking her hand again on mine "Don't be afraid" My eyes did not leave hers. I pressed the sharp blade against the palm of her hand which made her flinch in pain until her warm blood began to sprout. I took her palm to my lips and sucked her wound gently relishing in the taste of her blood

"What are you doing?" She asked mystified with a soft reddish shade peeking on her cheeks; I smiled impishly giving her a last lick

"Just a way to close our contract" I explained releasing her hand "Now you _belong_ to me by blood. Your life and everything you are is behind; you will serve me every day of your life until your last breath and then the debt will be paid" I recited "Now is time to go home" I enclosed her wrist with my fingers pulling her towards me

"No! no please wait!" She resisted my pull and pleaded with despair "Please, I need to say goodbye…"

"You should have asked that before sealing the deal" I said with severity; people always ended up asking for something more and my patience was very limited, so I had to stand firm… "I'm sorry but that was not part of the deal" I imposed; she fell on her knees clinging to my arm

"Please! Just please…" her azure eyes began to spring tears "Don't you have a heart? Please…" the last word was barely a sigh; the young woman had touched something in the very depths of my being because my resolution was crumbled instantly

"All right…" it was the first time I gave in to this kind of requests "You can say goodbye…but do not take too long, I want to go home" she looked me up, her cheeks gleamed moistened with tears. I helped her to her feet and seemed to weaken as she lost her balance and stamped against me; I held her firmly with my arms around her waist…she felt as fragile as glass; it worried me for a moment that she could get sick, the temperature had dropped significantly and her dress left uncovered good part of her chest and shoulders. Unwittingly I took off my coat and without asking her I wrapped her shoulders with it "It's really cold out here" I explained justifying my action

"Thank you…" she said shyly

We started walking in silence, so she could say goodbye to her family. I began to review the events of the night and wondered how this young woman had stirred in me so many _things_ in so little time…compassion, amusement, admiration, sympathy…no doubt she was very different from the people I was used to deal with, that's why the reward tasted better, but a small voice that I had not heard in a while, warned me to be careful with such feelings because, above all, I was just a _heartless creature_


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello guys! Again I want to thank you all for your support. Sorry if I could not update before, I've been very busy this week. I guess this will be my usual pace, I hope to be able to update at least once a week, I promise! ;) I'll leave you with the next chapter, and as always...hope you enjoy it! :) P.S: Don't forget to comment!

 **CHAPTER IV (Piper POV)**

She accompanied me closely the long way through the corridors from my bedroom to the throne room, where we met for the first time, and where I was sure to find my father. Already at the door I stopped to hear the rejoicing voices that came from the inside of the room. I took a deep breath and opened the big and heavy doors and took a step forward. Nobody seemed to notice me and my companion, although from now on I probably should refer to her as my owner…

I went across the room in search of my father, among the lords who where clashing their glasses and shouting of joy. I visualized my father walking in my direction, Larry was beside him…

"Piper!" My father's face brightened when he saw me; my heart grew smaller just thinking about the conversation I was going to have with him…

"Father…" I hugged him tightly as soon as he was within my reach "We need to talk" I said in his ear solemnly; he pushed me away so he could see my face and just then he acknowledged the person who was with me…

"Who is this?" He asked with caution. Of course he did not recognize her without her hooded coat that hid her face and body

"That's what I want to talk to you about, but not here…" he nodded, his face showing concern

"What's going on?" Larry intervened without a clue

"Let's go to the adjoining room" My father said ignoring Larry's question and taking a cautious look to my escort

We hurried to a door that led to a small room where my father used to spend most of his time…the light was dim and the atmosphere felt heavy, or maybe it was just me who felt heavy. Once inside, my father closed the door behind us and turned around to face me. He did not need to speak for me to understand his question…but again, Larry, uninvited, was the one to say the words

"Piper, answer you father's question and tell us, what's going on?"

"I'm surprised that you still don't understand what's going on" I was not the one to speak "Am I so forgettable?" My father seemed to recognize her now, by her voice

"You…" he hissed "I thought I told you to get out of here!" he raised his voice

"How rude!…you will not even thank me for saving your kingdom?"

"You what?" my father did not believe what he heard

"Oh, come on! How do you think you've won this war, impossible to win by the way, just in the nick of time?" he did not deliver a single word and just fixed his eyes on me

"I'm so sorry father…" It was the only thing I could say, a lump threatening to choke me and tears forming in my eyes; he was open-mouthed, his eyes reflected only pain and he seemed to have lost the ability to speak

"Your beautiful and courageous daughter just gave away her _freedom_ for her kingdom, _your_ kingdom Bill" she explained to fill the silence; my father's eyes did not leave mine

"No" he breathed out heavily "What have you done Piper?" his face was masked with bereavement; he tried to reach me but collapsed to the ground on his knees, defeated…I kneeled in front of him, desperately seeking words to comfort him

"I'm so sorry father" I took his face between my hands "I had to do it, now you are all save, and I…I will be fine, she will take me with her but she promised me I would be safe…"

"Over my dead body!" Another voice that I had forgotten was present in the room interrupted my words, followed by the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath…I turned around to see the brightness of steel obscured by dark blood sticking out of the center of _her_ chest. He had pierced her body from behind…

"Nooo!" I cried while watching my _owner_ bending over with an expression that was hard to read. I was paralyzed, afraid for her life… _why would I care about her life?_ I wondered…she fell on her knees and immediately fell forward, holding her weight with her hands. In this position I could see the pommel of the sword protruding from her back; I felt nauseated. I crawled by her side and put a hand on her shoulder, assessing the severity of the wound; I could hear her breathing heavily… "What have you done!?" I looked up at Larry

"I was not going to let you go with her" he seemed astonished at what he had just done "I had to kill her"

"Piper, stay away from it…" My father recovered from his previous state standing up and trying to pull me away from her, but by some superior force my body seemed bound to hers

"No, no I can't!" I listened with attention her ragged breathing, it almost sounded like she was growling; after a few seconds my heart was filled with relief when the sound turned into a deep and laborious laugh

"You are _so_ going to regret this boy" she delivered menacingly while standing up with my help; she looked at me with amused eyes and a little smile "Thank you my dear" she winked at me "You were not worried about me right?" She asked playfully and I couldn't respond…was I worried about her? I couldn't even respond to myself. She turned around to face Larry; I had never seen him so frightened in my whole life "Aren't you the stupidest person in the whole word? Did you really believe you could kill me?" He started to back down before the eminent advance of her; she still carried the sword puncturing her body nonchalantly; I would have followed her, as if draw by her, if it were not because my father stopped me hard with his arms

"I'm…I'm so sorry…I was not thinking…" panic gripped his voice, it sounded like a child; his heels played a trick on him when they ran into the unevenness of a think carpet, falling backwards…

"You're nothing but a pathetic little boy" She said to him from her height "You think you are really brave attacking me from the back, don't you?"

"No…no please…" he cried

"I'll tell you what…" she circled her own torso with her hand until she reached the pommel of the sword; she pulled it out of her body with a growl before continuing her speech "I'll give you one more chance" She said handling the sword back to its owner "Come on! Get up!" She ordered him, but he was immobilized

"Just leave him" I interceded for him… "Please…I will pay for his mistake if necessary, just let him go" I pleaded and she seemed to reflect about it for a moment

"How do you feel now that your beautiful fiancé will have to pay for your insolence?" He cried in relieve when he understood that his life had been forgiven

"I'm…sorry…Piper" he managed to say between sobs; I could only feel pity for him, for his weakness

"This farewell is taking longer than I expected" She said turning to me "Let's go"

"But I…I haven't say goodbye…" I said in desperation

"You can thank your fiancé for taking away your precious time" She walked toward me and I held on tight to my father's embrace

"I love you father…I'm sorry" Was the last thing I said before feeling her cold hand around my wrist, and in an instant I found myself in an unfamiliar place. My father nowhere to be found. I forced my eyes trying to see something in such darkness. My eyes slowly began to adjust to the absence of light. We were standing in the middle of a gigantic room with majestic columns that rose on both sides. Everything looked made of black marble, in accordance with her hair. It could even be beautiful, if it were not because the darkness engulfed everything, giving it rather a sinister aspect

"Hope you had a good ride" I distinguished her pale complexion in front of me…but I did not pay attention to her joke

"You are a liar!" I accused her

"Excuse me!?" She exclaimed incredulous

"I could not say goodbye properly!" In my lips had remained all the words I wanted to say to my loved ones. She had taken away from me even the chance to make amends with my mother

"And whose fault is it?...I remember you said that you would pay for the insolence of your beloved, a great act of love for an idiot who does not deserve it" Her insinuation of my supposed love for Larry made me furious

"He is not my beloved!" I claimed

"Oh really? So when I saw you kissing him in the hall, was that all my imagination?" She said assertively with a cocky smile that I wanted to rip out of her face

"How do you know that?" I asked with nothing to say in my defense

"Mmmm, interesting, you didn't deny it…so you _love_ potato boy?" She pointed out mockingly. I could feel my blood starting to boil with rage

"That's not…" I was going to start explaining the reasons why I kissed Larry but I owed her no explanations "You know what…I do not have to explain anything to _you_ "

"Is that so?" I nodded stubbornly "May I remind you that technically I can force you into anything I want?" Clearly she was not accustomed to receiving a no for an answer

"No, you can't" I stood my ground "I remember you saying something like my life and everything I am was behind. You already have my future so at least let me keep my past for myself" I finished. She seemed to consider my words for a moment and without saying a word she turned around and began to walk away from me "What is this place?" I asked her trying to reach her pace

"Your new home…" She raised her arms as if to invite me to look around "Do you like it?"

"Is kind of dark" I said sincerely under my breath, causing her to laugh cheerfully

"Of course it is! You are in the Shadow Lands, but don't worry, you'll have _plenty_ of time to get used to it" A shiver ran all over my body when hearing those words _You'll have plenty of time_ , as a matter of fact, I was going to have a lifetime to get used to this place… _What have I done?_ I pondered, feeling a tightness on my chest that made my breathing difficult, making me stop and stay behind "Are you alright?" she asked turning around when she noticed that I was not following her anymore

"Yes, I'm fine…" I forced myself to say with a firm voice; under no circumstance I was going to show weakness.

I must be brave, just as I had promised my father. She did not buy my answer but did not insist, so she continued walking to the end of the room; I forced my legs to continue behind her. She pulled a thick rope that hang from above, and the sound of a bell echoed throughout the room, so loud that I had to cover my ears with my hands. I stood still waiting for her to say something, but she just approached a table where there were elegant glasses and bottles with all sorts of liquors…I watched her carefully, taking her in for the first time in her whole. I had only had time to study her face, when she left it exposed at my request. Her beauty had left my senses stupefied. Since she first appeared at my father's request, I had wondered if this creature was human, but when I saw her smooth face, as if it was carved in white marble, her eyes clear as ice crystals the color of the emeralds, and her perfectly sculpted fleshy lips, I was certain that she could not possibly have such a mundane origin. Then I had time to contemplate her body, she was statuesque. All her clothes were black, which stood out even more the whiteness of her skin. She was wearing riding pants and boots that reached above the knees, which I thought was strange for a woman, but she looked very good on those, and a black silk shirt with long sleeves, girded with a lace corset that accentuated the curve of her waist and chest… _Why would she hide her body and face wearing that awful cape?_ I wondered truly intrigued.

"You like what you see?" She snapped me out of my ramblings…Did she just say what I thought she had said?

"What?" My face was burning with shame to have been so abstracted thinking about her

"I said…if you would you like a drink?" She turned to me smiling knowingly. I just hoped that with the lack of light she could not notice my blushing

"Ammm…no thanks…I don't like spirits drinks" As soon as I delivered my words I wondered if I had committed an offense by refusing her offer, so I explained further "They make my head foggy..." She gave me a look hard to read bringing her cup to her lips to take a long sip

"It's good to know" She said after swallowing with a cryptic smile. I did not understand why she would say that. Our heads turned in unison to the sound of a door opening. A woman of medium height entered the room. She walked towards her passing by my side without even looking at me

"My lady" She addressed her with respect, bowing solemnly and kissing her pale hand "I did not realize that you had left the house until now"

"Sylvie" She said without diverting her look from me "Let me introduce you to my most recent and _very_ valuable acquisition" The woman turned to me noticing me for the first time

"Where did you get her?" For some reason she seemed annoyed

"From the High Lands" She made it sound like a great achievement

"You've got to be kidding me" The woman did not seem happy by my presence

"No, i'm not kidding...she is no other than the daughter of the King…his only heir" she explained delighted "Princess Piper of the House Chapman"

"It's an honor to meet you" I said politely "And you are?" She looked at me sullenly without answering my question

"What is she doing here Alex?" She asked _her_ bothered

"Piper, I apologize for Sylvie's poor manners, she does not even know how to address me properly" She faced Sylvie with rigidity "No servant in this house shall dare to use my name to refer to me…and do not make me repeat it…are we clear?" Her tone was menacing and the woman only nodded in agreement "Good…now, don't be so unwelcoming with our new resident"

"Yes my lady…" She replied submissively and referred to me reluctantly "I'm Sylvie, the housekeeper, it's nice to meet you too" I did not believe that last part. Lady Alexandra started talking again without taking away her eyes from me

"Piper will be a _permanent_ part of the service. I hope you can help her to adapt to her new life and teach her in housework. Don't be too hard on her…I bet she's never had to move a finger not even to get dressed" Her assumption about my wealthy life bothered me. Yes, I was born and raised in abundance, but I was not a complete worthless thing; I felt the need to defend myself…

"I am perfectly capable of doing housework…I have been taught to properly manage the domestic tasks since I was a child" She looked at me with skepticism

"All right then…You will be under Sylvie's orders with immediate effect, since _apparently_ you do not have anything to learn" I could see the fun in her eyes; she was obviously messing with me, but as the stubborn person that I was, I felt irreparably into her game , accepting the challenge…

"Fine by me…!" I agreed adamantly. I was not going to give her the joy of been right about me…

"Fine…" she grinned at me…I would erase her stupid grin of superiority from her face "Sylvie…" She adressed the other woman

"Yes my lady…"

"Give her a room…she should get some rest before dawn, tomorrow may be a _long_ day for her…" She said with a hint to Sylvie

"Of course my lady" Sylvie seemed to enjoy the new situation, she was definitely going to make it more difficult to me

"And offer her something to eat if she is hungry" She started talking about me as if I was not present in the room

"Do you need anything else my lady?"

"That'll be all, you can retire" She finished with a hand gesture

"Yes my lady, goodnight" Sylvie took her hand to kiss it and bowed after doing so

"Goodnight" I said, and bowed rigidly. It was more difficult than I had thought, been the one paying homage, and even harder doing so while watching her superb face

"Aren't you forgetting something?" The question was charged with cockiness

"My lady…" I said grudgingly

"And?…" She suggested extending her hand for me to kiss it. I took a few steps forward to reach her pale hand, it was cold as snow; I leaned to brush my lips against her soft skin…the coldness of it was more powerful against my lips

" _Good girl_ " She barely whispered while watching me from above _Good girl? What was I? Her dog?_ I was starting to feel real animosity against her; the fire was stirring within me, I was not used to being treated this way, but I would have to get used to it and soon. I tried really hard not to look at her while I straightened myself trying to keep my dignity

"Come on" Sylvie urged me with dry voice, and I had no choice but to obey and started to walk

"Wait..." I stopped immediately realizing that I was still wearing the coat she had lent me. I turned around and saw _her_ face full of interest "Your coat" I took it off and handed it to her but she did not reach it

"You better keep it…the nights here can be very cold" I could not tell if her tone was kind or mocking, and of course, I took it the wrong way

"Thank you but I don't want it" I was not going to take anything from her, so I walked a step closer and urged her to reach for it…she took it from me with a somber expression, very far from her previous cocky smiles "My Lady" I repeated and bowed again before turning around "I'll follow you" I said to Sylvie who had been watching the whole scene intrigued. Once out of the room she talked to me with pedantry

"You should not have talked to her like that, she will make your life _miserable_ " She almost said it with amusement

"And you would love that, right?" I almost spit out the words, making her stop abruptly

"I must remind you that from now on you are under _my_ orders; you will address me with respect" Arrrghhh…as if it were not enough to pay homage to Lady Vause "Understood?" She asked, and because I did not respond she pressed me again with her question " _Understood?"_ she repeated with more effort

"Yes ma'am" satisfied, she continued walking. We walked a good stretch, going through corridors, stairs and dozens of doors; I could not understand how she could orient herself in this maze of corridors so dark. She had lit a small candle but still, its light did not seem enough. I couldn't imagine how big that place could be…even the temperature changed from time to time and the humidity in the air became more and more intense. We finally stopped. I heard the sound of the keys and some chains, and the creaking of a door…

"Here it is…" She opened the door for me and raised the candle to brighten better in front of us "Your chambers" She added sarcastically. I looked at her to see if it was a joke…but of course it wasn't… _Chambers?_ I thought resentful…It was actually a small cell with a cot and a little nightstand; a small window crowned one of the walls and of course it had bars "I hope it will please your highness" Her comment was more than enough for me to make no complaints…

"I guess I'll have to get used to it" My composure took her aback…she was probably waiting for me to start crying. I walked into my _chambers_ with pride…I heard the door close behind me and turned violently… "Wait!" I cried "What are you doing?" I peered through the small opening of the door to see her face showing a sinister smile lit by the candlelight "Why would you lock the door?"

"You are a prisoner…until you prove your loyalty you'll be treated as such…Do not take it personally, this are just safety measures in case you pretend to run away; we do it with all the newcomers" _Run away? Seriously?_

"Could you at least bring me something to eat and some water?" I asked remembering the words of Lady Alexandra about offering me something to eat. I was not really hungry, but maybe a full stomach would help me to fall asleep

"Ohhh, I'm so sorry…the kitchen is already closed…" She feigned distress "But don't worry, in a couple of hours it'll be breakfast time…Goodnight!" She wished me ironically and left, leaving me helplessly locked into this horrible place. I already hated Sylvie and hated _her_ with all my heart…she was a liar… " _You will be treated with respect and humanity"_ she had said…HA! I had been so stupid and I hated myself more than anything for believing her words

Dispair gnawed my guts. _What kind of trouble have I gotten myself into?_ _Has it really been worth it? Of course it was…your people are safe, you saved them_ I tried to calm myself down repeating those words in my head, _Breathe, just breathe_ …I could feel my chest shrinking, the place was claustrophobic. I dragged the little nightstand under the window to stand on it and be able to look out; maybe the fresh air would make me feel better, but it didn't...I had never experienced the sensation of vertigo; in my home I was more than accostumed to the height of the towers, but what I saw through tha cell's window was another thing...all I could see was an immense cliff, as if the whole place was built at the edge of the world. I could distinguish towers of different sizes, in different zones along the cliff. In a moment, the cold wind blew towards me and I was grateful for it, because the cold hitting my face made me feel strangely better, but in that moment I had not realized that the wind brought something else that made me shudder in fear... I paid attention trying to discern what those sounds were...screamings, howls of terror, pleading sounds, shrieking...all of them evoked by humans... I stepped back in fear, forgetting I was standing on the table and fell backwards; I crawled to the door, away from the window and those sounds. I sat pressing my back against the door, holding my legs against my chest, trying to keep myself whole _What is this place? What have I done?_

I began to feel a sensation of numbness in the buttocks and in the extremities. I don't know how much had I spent in that position, so I decided to get up and go to bed, although _bed_ was not the proper word…it was just a cot with a thin mattress stuffed with straw, but I appreciated that there was a wool blanket at the foot of it. I settled the best I could without undoing my clothes; it was very cold and any extra layer was not enough…I cursed myself to have returned the coat to _her_ , now I would give anything for it

"Damn you and your stupid pride…" I said to myself, tears threatening to leave my eyes

Maybe Sylvie was right, I should not have rejected the good gesture like I did, and maybe she would make me pay for my insolence _Have I made it all worse?_ I remembered her face overshadowed with my rejection; she obviously had not liked such a thing and the malice of the _Warden of the Darkness_ was very well known in every kingdom... _and those screams..._

"You'll have to learn to hold your tongue you idiot!" _…you'll be obliging and loyal just like she wants…don't make it harder Piper…just be a good girl…_ I repeated over and over again… _Just be a good girl_


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hellooooo everybody! I'm so sorry for the delay, I know I promised to update every Friday but yesterday I had a little inconvenience...without further delay, here it is, chapter 5...Enjoy and don't forget to comment ;)

 **CHAPTER V (Alex POV)**

I watched her as she left the room next to Sylvie. I was overwhelmed by a feeling of humiliation after she refused to keep my coat; I was just trying to be kind, a little recurring quality in me, but apparently she did not appreciate it _Thank you but I don't want it..._ her words echoed in my mind several times, stinging my pride repeatedly. No one had ever rejected even the slightest act of kindness on my part. The sound of broken glass made me snap out of my trance; I felt a liquid running down my hand, I had broken the glass I carried with the liquor. I shook my hand in disgust and turned to the table with the bottles feeling the crush of the broken glass under my feet…

"Who does she think she is?!" I asked out loud to no one in particular while I poured some spirits in another glass

I drank the liquor copiously to the last drop, letting it heat my insides. I served another drink trying to appease the sudden rage that had replaced the sense of humiliation _What kind of game is she trying to play?_ I tried to decipher; I could see she was a very proud person and with good reason; I did not expect anything less from someone like her, raised in abundance and more accustomed to give orders than to receive them. But sooner or later she would have to forget who she was and learn some humbleness, and I, delighted, would be the one to give her such a valuable lesson, I would make her forget her origins and make her the most humble and obedient of my servants…If she was intending to remain dignified she was going to go down with certainty.

The dawn took me by surprise while my mind rambled through all sorts of thoughts, all linked to her, and oddly, I was wishing to see Sylvie to ask her about my new _guest_. I headed to my quarters, and I did not have to wait long for her arrival…

"Good morning my lady" Sylvie came into my room holding a tray with my breakfast "How did you spend the night?" She always asked the same stupid question

"As usual, awake and alone with my thoughts" I answered by simple routine "I don't know why you have to ask the same thing every morning if you already know the answer" I said cutting

"I'm sorry my lady, I only worry about you" She was taken aback by my forms, and I immediately regretted my tone. My current grumpiness was not her fault

"No…don't be sorry, I've had a bad night and I'm just…taking it out on you" My words seemed to pleased her

"It's alright my lady, you don't have to explain yourself" She approached and placed the tray on my usual place, at the end of the rectangular wooden table

"Actually, you can take the breakfast back to the kitchen…" It was normal for me to skip some meals, in fact, I could spend days without having a bite. Although it could be debilitating spending too much time without eating, it was not something that could kill me, and sometimes I even did it more out of habit than anything else

"Are you alright my lady?" She voiced with some concern

"Yes, I'm not very hungry that's all. I'm going to make some rounds with Nicky and collect some payments, so maybe you can prepare me something for later"

"As you wish my lady, if there's nothing else I can do for you" She bowed her head and removed the tray from the table to leave

"By de way…" She stopped attentively. I wanted to ask her about certain person, trying not to show much interest in the subject "How is our new _guest_ doing?" I added ironically knowing that this way she would be more receptive to answer, as If I wanted to enjoy the princess' distress, and it seemed to work because a mocking smile surfaced immediately on her face, and let out a snort of satisfaction before answering

"Not very good…you should have seen her face this morning when I ordered her to remove her clothes to wear the service attire" She giggled cruelly "You would say that I had handed her a pot with a viper inside, she almost cried when I took her beautiful dress away"

"What did you do with the dress?" I don't know what motivated me to ask such thing

"Why do you want to know?" She asked suspiciously

"You will not have kept it for yourself, will you?" I retorted. For some unknown reason, the idea bothered me

"Why would I do that?" She pretended to be offended by my insinuation

"No reason…" I said indifferently "Whatever you did with it, you better not have it ruined…I want it back"

"And why cannot I keep it?" She asked annoyed "I could wear it for you" She added with seductive voice. I found it almost offensive to imagine her in such a delicate garment

"Because…" _You would look nothing like her_ I wanted to say, but hold my tongue " _…_ I must send it back to her family" I lied, when what I really wanted to do was to keep it for reasons that were ignored by me

"Fine…" she gave up obstinately "I still don't understand why you have to send it back"

"I don't think I have to explain my motives to you…" As always, she ended up referring to me with too much familiarity, which I could not allow

"Of course you don't, I apologize my lady" She realized her mistake

"Back to the topic…" I wanted to know more about her "What are your plans for her today?"

"I told her to be ready for when I came back…I left her breakfast in her cell and…"

"Her cell? Where did you take her?" I did not remember giving such indications

"Where all the newcomers normally go…" She responded as if it was the most obvious thing "The common cells"

"The common cells? Don't you think it's a bit extreme?" It was hard to imagine her in such a horrible place

"I remember having spent some time there when I had just arrived, just like everyone else…" She explained "Why would it be any different with her?" Actually, there was no point of comparison between the people who had passed through those cells and _her_. Most of them had committed the most diverse crimes, and needed some time to prove they could be reliable, but honestly, what could she possibly do? Still, I understood Sylvie's argument…I could not favor _her_ by her position, in fact, this would go against my previous resolution, to make her forget her roots and to turn her into a humble and docile person…

"I thought we did not use the cells anymore, that's all" I had to agree with her but disguising the words "Do what you think is more convenient, you are the housekeeper for a reason" I tried to appease her; It was better to keep her in a good mood; I didn't want her to take it out on the poor young woman throughout the day

"I appreciate your trust my lady" I had her again on her good side

"One more thing… I want her to learn a valuable lesson" Sylvie's eyes shone in excitement "She needs to learn to be less responsive and conceited. Put some pressure on her…so she will regret her previous cockiness"

"I agree my lady" Her words were honeyed "I will do as you order with pleasure" I did not like the sparkle in her eyes, so I had to remind her something…

"When I say _put some pressure on her_ I do not mean for you to break her shoulders" I knew her too well "Restrain yourself" I carefully warned her "That'll be all" I dismissed her

"By your leave, my lady" And with that she retired

While she left the room, I turned around to stand by the window, watching the endless clouded gray sky and after a couple of seconds I heard the sound of a more than familiar voice…

"Heyyyy stretch" that's how she used to refer to Sylvie "Where are you going with that tray full of food?"

"It's my lady's breakfast, but she's not very hungry" Sylvie tried, as always, to maintain her composure

"Well, if your lady doesn't want it, I'll have it!" I heard the tinkling of the plates and tea cups clashing together; I did not have to turn around to imagine the scene, they were probably struggling over the tray with the food

"No! It's not for you!" They had never got along, and at this point, it was not going to happen. I took a deep breath in order to keep calm

"Let it go Sylvie" I said in a boring voice "Give her the food" they always managed to get me into their fights. I heard her indignant snort and her strong steps leaving the room

"I really don't get it" Her voice already sounded muffled by the food that was already in her mouth. I knew I would regret asking, but I did it anyway

"What?" I inquired turning around to face her

"You and… _her"_ She made a funny face with the last word "I mean" She took a bite of bread after coating it in the yolk of the eggs "What do you see in her?" She almost spitted chunks of chewed bread

"Could you please eat like an actual person? Did I not teach you any manners?" It infuriated me to see that my influence had had no effect on her, even after so many years "Take a seat and eat your breakfast at the table, and please, do not talk while you chew" She did as I said but as always, her demeanor was unconcerned, I knew my lessons would be forgotten in 5 seconds…

"Are you going to answer my question?" At least she spoke after swallowing the food this time

"I don't have to do such thing…because, in the first place, I do not have to explain my reasons to you, and secondly, there's nothing to explain because there's nothing between _us_ , you know that better than I do"

"Still, you always seem to give her great privileges…which makes her more unbearable, she's a complete witch with the rest of the service staff" She had a point there

"I do not give her privileges, she's actually a very efficient servant and her work is flawlessly" I said honestly because it was true

"She must be great at warming your bed too" she muttered, covering her mouth with the edge of the teacup

"I heard that" I reproached "And to calm your doubts I'll tell you that she's not bad at all" The tea poured out of her mouth and nose and she began to cough trying to catch her breath. Once she regained control, she continued speaking

"I would have preferred not to hear _that"_ She made a face of disgust

"You asked for it" I said holding a soft laugh

"Yeah I know…but I must insist… _not bad at all_ sounds terribly unsatisfying"

"Everything in my life is unsatisfying Nicky…" I said grimly "For too many years I've been in this constant state where nothing satisfies me…nothing seems to arouse any kind of emotion in me. It's not about Sylvie, it's not about finding someone else…it's me. I cannot feel without a heart" Her face showed empathy

"I disagree…there must be something…" She began to argue again, always in denial

"I don't even know why you always have to bring this subject up!" I interrupted her, knowing exactly where the conversation was headed "I don't want to talk about it, so just finish your breakfast so we can go, alright?!" She always got me exasperated

"Alright alright" She raised her hands like surrendering "No need to rip my head off"

She ate her breakfast, well, _my_ breakfast at ease. We got ready for our journey and left my room to start walking the long stretch to the stables. We had just left my room and she was already complaining, as always

"I don't know why we _have_ to walk…can't you just use your magic to get us to the stables in a second?" Yes, I could use my magic to appear and disappear in any place, at any moment. It could be very useful when I was in a real hurry, but for someone like me, with unlimited time, it was not a very attractive trait, in fact, it was boring so I was always looking for ways to occupy my time, leaving aside the advantages of my magic

"You could use a walk or two" I said jokingly although she was not fat, a surprising thing for someone with her appetite

"Are you calling me fat?" She asked in disbelief, but she didn't take it the wrong way "Because I can assure you that, if you were just like me, without your special powers and shit, I could totally kick your white ass…in fact I could…" She rambled non-stoppingly about all the ways she could beat me, but I stopped listening when my ears heard another voice coming up the central staircase. Completely oblivious I hurried my pace to reach the stairs

"Are you even listening to me?" Nicky asked but I did not pay attention and I started down the stairs.

I saw her in the middle of the entrance hall, her back to the stairs, receiving instructions from Sylvie very attentive

"Wait…could you repeat that last part? About the east side…It is very difficult to orient myself in this place where I can't even see the sun…" Sylvie passed by her leaving her with the words hanging in her mouth when she watched me across the room

"My lady" she walked to the foot of the stairs waiting for me to reach the same level but I was not watching her "Everything is ready for your trip. The horses are saddled and I personally have prepared some delicacies in case you recover your appetite"

"Thank you Sylvie" my eyes lingered on _hers_ for a second. The moment our eyes met she looked down immediately. I noticed subtle shadows under her eyes, she probably did not have a good night

"Yeah, thank you stretch" Nicky had already reached my side

"Piper!" _Her_ name sounded somehow wrong under Sylvie's authoritative tone "Don't be rude and come to pay your respects" She hesitated a moment before moving toward me

"I'm so sorry my lady" She did not dare to raise her eyes "Good morning" she bowed in an exquisite motion, reaching my hand to kiss it with her soft warm lips

"Good morning" I returned the greeting and asked sincerely "How did you spend the night?"

"Very good, thank you for asking...my lady" Her docility impressed me

"I'm glad to hear that…and don't worry if you get lost at first, sooner than you think you´ll be able to orient yourself in this place like you did at home" I said hoping to get some feedback from her like in our previous encounter

"I hope so my lady" Her face showed no emotions. How could she have changed her temperament overnight?

"Yeah, I remember when I got here, I used to get lost _all_ the time" Nicky chimed in, making me roll my eyes because she was lying. There was no way she could remember when she first came here because she was a newborn "I'm Nicky by the way" She approached Piper with her hand outstretched and a silly smile plastered all over her face _What was she doing?._ Piper looked up to Nicky, accepting her hand with grace

"Nice to meet you my lady" She said with courtesy

"My lady?!" Terror was all over Nicky's face "Can you believe that?" She asked me before laughing her head off. I even had to contain myself, because the idea of Nicky being a lady was actually hilarious

"I'm…I'm sorry, did I offend you?" Her stuttering voice could scarcely be distinguished above Nicky's laughter

"She is very far from being a lady" Sylvie explained unpleasantly disgusted with Nicky's behaviour

"She is my dear friend and helper, Nicky" I explained to the mortified princess to help her out of her embarrassment, while Nicky began to regain her composure wiping the tears from her eyes

"Oh honey…" Nicky's term of endearment caused me nuisance "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you did nothing wrong. Forgive my manners. Piper isn't it?"

"Yes" She responded sweetly

"Well, it's _really_ nice meeting you Piper. If there's _anything_ I can do for you, come and _find me"_ She said suggestively winking at her. _Was she fucking serious?_

"Thank you, that's very kind of you"Apparently she did not seem to catch the real meaning behind Nicky's words

"All right, I think it's enough of wasting my time" I began to feel irritated by Nicky's exchange with the young woman

"I think the same way my lady" Sylvie said "You probably have very important business to attend and we are just here wasting your valuable time" She addressed Piper who was next to her "And you still have a lot of work ahead, so no more interruptions" She ducked her head in response to the reprimand

"I'm so sorry ma'am" I was about to intervene in Piper's favor, after all it had not been her fault, but I decided against it, remembering with resentment the last time I had tried to be nice to her

"Have a nice trip my lady, I'll be waiting for you" Sylvie wished me and I just walked away without saying a word. I could hear Nicky running behind me, trying to catch my pace

"Wait…where are you going?" I was already reaching the big door at the entrance. I opened it so vigorously that it almost hit her squarely in the face. I was even disappointed when at the last moment she dodged it

"Whoooaaaa!" She exclaimed "What's got up your nose?"

"We have a lot of things to do, and you've already delayed us more than enough" I said annoyed

"It's not such a big deal…" her breathing became forced "Could you…at least…slow down?" I ignored her request and speed up "What the hell is wrong with you?!" She came to a halt and demanded to know

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I turned around to face her "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?" Her face only showed confusion

"If there's _anything_ I can do for you, come and _find me_ " I made my best impression of her "What was all that about? And the winking?" she ruminated my words

"Ohhh…I see…" The stupidest of smiles stamped in her face. _What impression will she have formed in her featherbrain? "_ This is about the new girl…you _like_ her…"

"What?" _Like her? No that's not what it was "_ That's just ridiculous"

"Oh really? Then explain your sudden attack of _jealousy"_ She wiggled her eyebrows remarking the word

"Jealousy? Are you even listening to yourself? It is impossible for me to feel such things, and it is nothing like that" I kept walking to the stables starting an internal debate, I should not hear Nicky's senseless words _But then, what was that heat I felt seizing my insides?_ Again I was aware of Nicky's awkward steps following me closely

"Where did she come from?" I could hear her enjoyment

"I don't think that's none of your business" I said coldly

We arrived at the stables a few moments later. Our mounts were ready to go. I climbed on my horse and quickly started to ride without looking if Nicky was following me. The cold air hitting my face helped me to temper my rage. Unfortunately, I could not escape Nicky this time; she was a very good rider.

"Oh! Come on!" She screamed "I'm sorry!" I reached the top of a hill and came to a stop. She stood beside me with her mount "Can we talk?" She asked tentatively. She read my silence as a confirmation "I'm sorry alright? I was just messing with you, and now tell me, seriously…who is this Piper?"

"I got her yesterday in a deal" I said unemotionally

"What kind of deal?" her tone was serious now, showing real interest

"She gave me her freedom" _And she is mine_ I wanted to add

"Whoa…it must have been a great favor that she asked from you"

"It was…" I did not want to go into details

"Don't get mad…but…do you like her?" She asked with a lot of caution

"No I don't _like_ her Nicky, it would be absurd" She represented what I most repudiated in this world

"Absurd?"

"I barely know her and besides…our worlds are very different…" I simply said because, even if I could like her, she could only feel hatred towards the person who snatched her freedom. The only thing I could expect from her were her services, nothing more

"Anyone would have thought otherwise with your reaction" I did not respond to this "Sooo, if you are not interested in her, why did it bother you so much my potential interest in her?" Again, I felt the rage building inside of me

"The thing is…" My voice dropped an octave unintentionally "…that she _belongs_ to me; and you know how leery I can be about my possessions" Her face was unmoved by my subtle threat, I could even detect a slight smile forming on her lips

"Whatever you say…besides, she's not my type at all…too refined for my taste" She said jokingly, softening my hard face. I could not be mad at her for too long "So, you are not going to tell me where did you get her from?" It was better to tell her, she would not stop until I told her

"From the High Lands…" She opened her eyes wide and waited for me to keep talking "Well, actually she's the princess from the High Lands…she gave up her freedom in exchange for me to save her kingdom" She could not open her eyes any more wider

"Holly shit! Are you serious!? How did that happen?" She started asking a thousand questions. I started riding again leaving her without answers; I already had too many unresolved questions for myself, each of them regarding _her_


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hellooo beautiful people! To compensate my latest delay, here I bring you a new chapter with a day in advance! I don't want to promise anything, but I think this weekend I'll be able to update another chapter, but for now, I hope enjoy this one ;) Please don't forget to comment, even if it is to criticize...al comments are valuable to me. Best regards!

 **CHAPTER VI (Piper POV)**

In that place the day seemed to have endless hours. I could not list all the tasks I did, or rather, that I was ordered to perform under Sylvie´s watchful eye. Lunchtime was the only moment I had to sit down, although I cannot say I could rest. Sylvie directed me to a secluded area, separated from the dining room that was in the kitchen. Apparently, there was a hierarchy within the service staff. The large kitchen table was reserved for people like Sylvie, while I was surrounded by the most diverse people, although they all had something in common, they seemed to have spent a lot of time without bathing. I sat cautiously at the end of the bench, trying to avoid the inquisitive glances; of course, they were all looking at me with extreme curiosity. The atmosphere was loaded with heavy odors mixed with the steaming broth that was in the bowl in front of me. I was very hungry, but the smell of the broth was not very appealing either; I removed the bottom with the wooden ladle trying to discern what those floating pieces were.

"It's not mouthwatering" I turned my head startled by the proximity of the voice "But it's something to fill your stomach" It was an older thin woman. She took a seat next to me "It's not as bad as it looks" She took her ladle and brought a generous amount of broth to her mouth to prove her point but I noticed that she swallowed it with effort "Well…" She cleaned her mouth with the back of her hand making a face of disgust "I'm not gonna lie…the broth has had better days" Her comment made me smile with a sigh of relieve, earning me a weird look from her

"It's always refreshing to find someone to tell you the truth" I clarified. She smiled fondly at me. Something on her face made me trust her immediately; from her blue sad eyes emanated a sense of serenity

"I'm Jones" She introduced herself

"Jones?" I asked because I thought that was a peculiar name for a woman

"Yes, here we all call each other by our surnames"

"Why?" I thought it was a funny thing to do

"When we receive orders they usually use our first names, so among us we use ours surnames" she explained

"If that's so…I'm Chapman" I said suddenly thinking if I had made a mistake telling her my last name; I don't think I would gain many points if they knew who I really was

"Chapman? It sounds fancy" She meditated "Where are you from?"

"From the Barren Lands" Stupidly, It was the first thing that came to my mind, how would anyone believe that? But I had already said it and I could not retract it

"The Barren Lands? I would have thought you came from a more civilized place"

"Nope" I simply added. She made a gesture of indifference and thankfully did not insist on the subject, believing my words. She continued eating her broth and I could not find a reason to start mine

"It does not help if you let it cool" Another voice joined melodiously on our side of the table. I lifted my gaze to see a sturdy young woman sit across from me, with dark skin and curly hair. She looked at me suspiciously as she ate… "So…what did you do?" she asked straightly

"Excuse me?" I did not know what she was referring to

"No need to play dumb among us Blondie…we all are here for a reason" She said with complicity

"Play dumb?" she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and leaned over the table

"What's your crime?" she asked quietly

"I…I have not committed any crime" I was horrified. A crime? The room was filled with the sound of her thunderous laughter "You are funny! I'll give you that!" She said while picking up her plate to sit on the other side of the table with other people

"That was Jefferson...although for some reason she likes to be called Taystee" Jones told me "And you don't have to answer her question"

"Piper!" Sylvie's bossy voice came from across the room "Time to work!" _Already?_ I thought…I had not yet tasted a bite "Are you deaf? Now!" She commanded. I needed all my strength to stop myself from throwing the bowl of broth to her face

"Yes ma'am" I obediently followed her, saying goodbye to Jones

If I thought the morning had been difficult, I could not have been more wrong. With an empty stomach, I no longer had any strength left by the end of the afternoon. Finally, Sylvie gave me the last order, to bring water for the Lady's bath, a strenuous task taking into account that I could only carry two buckets of water at the time, and walk all the way from the kitchen backyard, where there was a well with water, to the main room of Lady Alexandra, crossing almost the whole castle. On the eighth trip from the kitchen, I reached the room to notice the door slightly ajar. I noticed that the lady had already arrived from her journey; I could hear Sylvie asking her how it went. I got closer to the door, not daring to enter without permission; I was ready to ask if I could come in but I stopped immediately at the sight that slipped through the small opening of the door… _she_ was taking off her clothes, her upper body already exposed to the cold air that reigned in every space. I held my breath and became absorbed contemplating the image cagily. Her body was sculptural; she reminded me of the statues of goddesses carved in white marble that decorated the gardens of my old home; I noticed a strange mark on her chest, just above her heart, like a lighting bolt drawn with coal, but, despite that, she was flawless. The door almost hit me in the face and made me walk a couple of steps backwards, losing balance and letting one of the buckets to stamp against the floor, spilling all the water from it.

"What did you do?" Sylvie hissed at me

"I'm…I'm sorry; It was an accident" My face was burning with shame of being caught

"Lady Vause is waiting for her bath, go and get more water and something to dry the floor" She said but I was still immobilized "Are you deaf or are you just stupid?" That got me out of my astonishment, making me extremely angry. No one had ever called me stupid

"I'm not stupid…" My voice did not tremble "And I'd appreciate it if you never insult me again" Her face was in shock

"How dare you…" She began

"What's going on?" But stopped talking when she heard her voice. Lady Vause had joined us at the doors of her bedroom. A black silk gown wrapped around her voluptuous body

"Nothing my lady…apparently she's not able to perform the simplest of tasks" My blood was boiling and I wanted to tear her eyes out

"It was an accident, and that does not give you the right to call me stupid" I could not contain myself, not even because Lady Vause was present

"What happened?" She directed her question to me this time

"I just dropped a bucket with water!" I responded sharply and remembered a little too late that I was supposed to address her with respect "My lady" I moderated my tone and bowed my head

"I'm sure it's not the end of the world" I dared to look up at her face and I thought I saw the slightest of the smiles on her lips before directing herself to Sylvie "Sylvie…help her clean the mess"

"But I…" She started to complain

"But nothing…and do not insult anyone else in this house ever again. Do you understand?" Her tone was harsh "I have enough water to take a bath...I do not want to be disturbed" With that she closed the door and left me and Sylvie outside in the hallway

"You are going to pay for this…" Her words were like poison, but far from fear, they only caused in me a feeling of satisfaction "And do not even think that I'm going to help you clean this" She walked away briskly. I could only smile at this, but deep inside I knew that she indeed was going to make me pay, although I did not deserve it, but right now I couldn't care less.

When I finished drying the carpet as much as I could, I headed for the kitchen willing even to eat the broth from before; I was starving. The heat of the kitchen comforted my soul and the smell of food was overwhelming, but surely, that food was not for me, and anyways, Sylvie was already there to remind me of it

"It's time for you to go to your cell" She got up from the table, taking the keys of my cell from a pocket…

"But I haven't had dinner yet" I complained

"That's none of my business, dinner time has already passed in the common room" Now I was starting to pay like she said I would

"C'mon stretch…" I knew that voice "Why do you always have to be _sooo_ embittered?" I turned around to see… _What was her name? "_ Let her have her dinner"

"I warn you…do not get into this" She tried really hard to make her words sound threatening…

"Warn me? Are you serious?" Nicky just asked in disbelief… _Nicky! That's her name_ I remembered suddenly

"Yes I am…" Sylvie's voice was as cold as ice

"Alright" she remained unflappable and faced me "Hey! Piper right?" She totally obviated Sylvie's existence

"Yes…" I barely whispered

"Are you hungry?" Her question was genuinely kind

"I'm more than hungry…I think I'm about to faint" I said honestly

"Great! Come and join me!" she encouraged me to take a seat beside her

"She cannot sit at this table!" Sylvie pointed out outraged. I stood still not knowing what to do, to whom should I obey?

"Yes she can…I just invited her to do so…" Nicky explained and for a moment I thought Sylvie's face was going to explode

"You'll see when I tell my lady that you intervened in my decisions regarding her new acquisition" Nicky only rolled her eyes…

"Yeah Yeah… go and tell her, I _really_ don't care stretch…" Sylvie was out of words, and left the kitchen violently "I'm sorry for the annoying interruption…Hey Red!" She raised her voice "Bring us everything you can…we are very hungry over here!"

"In a moment!" A woman, that I could only assumed was named Red responded with a thick foreign accent

"You are not going to get into troubles?" I asked her while getting closer to the table…I was suddenly worried for her

"Nah…don't worry about me. Sylvie is not above me" She clarified, inviting me to take a sit with a motion of her hand

"Ha!" I sarcastically laughed as I sat "But she is above me! What if she tells Lady Vause about it?" She laughed keenly

"I'm not worried about Alex" she said in a relaxed manner

"Alex?" I found it strange that she referred to her with such familiarity

"I will not call her Lady Vause, and _definitely_ not Lady Alexandra" she mocked horror

"I hope you are very hungry" The woman with the red hair interrupted our exchange. I had seen this lady a couple of times throughout that day, always near the stoves, but I had not had the opportunity to meet her. She put in front of us plates with generous amounts of food before sitting at the table, and seemed to notice me for the first time "I do not know you…Is this another one of your girls Nicky?" The woman asked her in a reproachful voice

"NOOO! No no no!" She denied it strongly…what did she mean by _one of your girls_? I wondered "Trust me, nothing like that!...Red, this is Piper. Piper…this is Red" She introduced us

"A beautiful name" She sweetly added

"Thank you, it's nice meeting you Red" I wanted to start eating, but that would have been rude…

"Yes, definitely not one of your girls, too decent" Red said and started to eat

"What do you mean by _one of her girls_?" Curiosity reigned over even though my mouth was watering

"She means _nothing_ by that" Nicky ended up the conversation casting an icy glance towards Red "Now, eat your dinner" She did not have to tell me twice. I had never felt so hungry because thankfully, I had never skipped a meal. I started to eat wildly, everything was so delicious and I thanked that the two women began to talk among themselves, giving me time to eat at peace, although at times they included me in their conversation, sharing even some laughs...

"So Piper…What does a girl like you is doing in _this_ place?" Red asked me at some point. The question was not inquisitive; rather, it seemed that she wanted to make me talk…I did not know how to answer the question…I swallowed the food I had in my mouth and spoke the truth…

"I'm paying a debt" This caused my two companions to laugh strongly…

"Yeah, that's why we're all here" Red said "But I cannot imagine a girl like you committing any kind of crime…What did you do? You stepped on a cockroach and could not live with guilt?" they both burst into laughter

"Why does everyone assume that I committed a crime?" I asked warily

"Because nobody comes here without having committed a crime" Nicky chimed in "Or without having asked a great favor to Alex, one so big as to cost you your _freedom"_ She knew then what my debt was. She continued speaking but this time to explain Red "She is not a criminal Red, she gave up her freedom in exchange for saving her _kingdom_ "

"Her kingdom?" Red was astonished

"She's princess Piper, the daughter of the High Lands' King" Nicky cleared up and kept eating nonchalantly

"A princess?!" Red was overwhelmed

"Shhhhh" I urged Red to keep her voice down "Please, I don't want anyone to know about it"

"But…but..." Red couldn't find the words "And you invited her to sit with _us_?" She hissed at Nicky, smacking her head with her open hand and getting up from the table

"Ouch! Why did you do that?" She looked at Red resentfully

"She should not even be in this _disgusting_ kitchen! I should have known about this and prepare something more appropriate" She looked embarrassed, and walked in circles a couple of times before coming to stand in front of me "I'm so sorry your highness, Nicky has no manners…"

"No please…No…don't do that…" I stopped her immediately "I'm not a princess anymore, that life is behind me…Now I'm just… Piper, Lady Vause's servant" Her face was still filled with anguish, and I wanted to do something to calm her down "And the food is…amazing, I've eaten everything with great pleasure"

"Well of course…I mean, Red's food is amazing, but if you compare it with the nauseating broth from the common room" Nicky smirked sarcastically

"The common dining room?" I would swear Red was about to faint "Are you telling me that she has been eating at the common room?!" Nicky earned another smack on the back of her head

"Ouuuuch! Stop doing that! It's not my fault!" Nicky defended herself

"Then whose fault is it?" She demanded to know

"Please…don't fight" I tried to be heard over them…

"Why don't you ask Alex yourself?" At Alex's mention Red's face changed from rage to realization "Alex left her under Sylvie's orders"

"Sylvie!?...Arrrggghhh…" Red let out an exasperated sound "This is unacceptable!" She stated indignant with her thick accent "I'll talk to Lady Vause myself, right now!…" She was about to leave…

"No please!..." I grabbed her by the arm "I don't think that's going to help me" She looked at me confused

"Why not?"

"Because I…" _I'm to proud for you to defend me…and because I have something to prove to her_ , it's what I wanted to say "I agreed to it" And it was the truth…I had agreed to it, just last night when we silently established the rules of the game. She had insinuated that I was an inept and I stupidly fell in her provocations

"You agreed to be treated like a criminal?" That's not exactly what it was, but I couldn't explain it better

"No…it's just, it's hard to explain alright?...I got into this, and I would like to handle the situation on my own" Red looked at me with concern but she did not seem convinced by my words

"She's right Red…You know how Alex is, you may probably just made her situation even worse" But Nicky's words apparently got some sense into her, so I loosen the grip on her arm

"Stupid arrogant _creature_ …" She muttered with tight jaw "Alright…I'll stay out of this, but please" She placed the palm of her hand on my check, with a maternal gesture that stirred something in me "Be careful…Sylvie is not a good person…" Concern was real in her voice "If at any time you think it's too much for you, come to me…understood?"

"Thank you" I said with all my heart

"Don't worry Red…" We both turned to see Nicky "I'll keep an eye on her" she said referring to me, winking at me in a gesture of complicity

With my stomach full, and once our conversation was over, tiredness took over me. I tried poorly to hide a yawn, but I didn't fool anyone…I said good night to them, thanking them for their help and friendship and went to my cell. Nicky insisted to come with me, and on the way, we had a little chat…

"So, you know what I'm doing here…" I started "What about you?"

"I'm here because I want to" She said looking at me sideways, attentive to my reaction. I came to a halt to look at her in the face

"Like…willingly?"

"Yep" _Who in his right mind would be here on his own will?_ Nicky probably was not a sane person. She resumed her walk and I followed her

"But you work for Lady Vause…" More than a question was a reaffirmation

"Yep…"

"But why would you do that? She's…" _The warden of darkness, The devil, a soulless creature, the one who should not be named, the source of terror stories that our nanas told us in order to behave…_ I wanted to say but I bit my tongue

"I'll tell you about it someday" We had reached my cell already "Goodnight Piper" She opened the door for me

"Thank you Nicky, for everything, goodnight" I walked in and she closed the door

"You are not going to escape right? Because I don't have the keys" She joked through the small opening at the door

"Don't worry…I think I'm too tired for that" I sat on my cot

"Oh…and ammm…" she began to say…"Alex…she's…she's not _that_ bad you know? You just need some time to figure her out…" She said and left, giving me no time to respond

In spite of being extremely tired, my mind seemed determined not to give me respite, reviewing all the events of the day. I had hardly spent a whole day…How could that even be possible? _just a day!_ and I still had to spend the rest of my life here. How was I going to bear it? I thought about how rare Nicky's last words had been. _Why would she say that?_ I started to ponder… _She's not that bad…you just need time to figure her out…_ ha! I had time to spare, and by no means had I pretended to _figure her out_ with it… _Then why is your mind full of thoughts about her?_ I asked to myself… _shhhh just get some sleep Piper…_ I tried in vain to fall asleep; instead, I just repeated our exchanges, like this morning…she had been kind when she asked me how had I spent the night, she seemed really interested, although her cocky smile made it hard to interpret if her kindness was real or if it was just arrogance…but then this night, she had come to my defense when Sylvie insulted me for spilling the water from the bucket, and again she had this cryptic smile on her lips…suddenly my mind filled me with another kind of images…the image of her naked body and I watching her secretly through the slit of the door; I wondered if I would have continued to watch her if Sylvie had not interrupted me. My cheeks started to burn and an unfamiliar sensation ravaged my insides. I felt ashamed for unknown reasons, while in my eyelids her pale figure seemed to be shaped permanently. The sound of footsteps in the hallway made me alert. I turned my head to look towards my door. A small light was visible through the small opening of the door, and I heard the clink of keys, my lock being closed…

"I hope you have eaten enough princess" Her voice was terrifyingly tinted with pleasure "You'll probably spend a couple of days without a single bite of food…in fact, I think I'll leave you here until I feel otherwise…maybe when I remember to collect you, you'll be dead already" She laughed sadistically

"You can't do that…" _Could she?_ Maybe it was a long shot but I dared to say "I don't think Lady Vause would be very pleased to know that you let her very precious acquisition to die" She laughed melodiously at this

"Precious?" She asked with irony, falsely sweetening her tone "Ohhhh…you think you are valuable because you are a princess…that's sweet…and stupid" she changed her tone "You are worth _nothing_ for her…no one is worth anything to her….She does not care about anything or anyone…except for me of course, and you…you have offended me and disobeyed me. I told her what happened at the kitchen. I have just been with her, and she told me to do what I thought best with you because she couldn't care less about you" I was speechless, terrified by this person because after Red's warning about Sylvie, her words had taken another look

"Then do whatever you want…" I don't know how I was able to pronounce those words…If I was going to die, better as soon as possible, I guessed in that moment

"You got it…" She said, and for the second night, her cruel face slightly illuminated by a candle was the last thing I saw peeking through the small opening

I could feel the tears running down my cheeks, now I was lost for real… _Would she really be able to leave me here?_ I meditated…Well, maybe Sylvie couldn't care less…but, what about Lady Vause? _Would it be true what she said about Lady Alexandra? That she did not care about me…_ No, that could not be true; she herself had referred to me as a valuable acquisition… _That sounds as if you were an object Piper, not a person, just a disposable object…_ But what about Nicky said? That she was not that bad? … _And who is Nicky? Why would you trust her?..._ She was nice to me, and Red, if they don't know about me in days, they will start asking questions, they said they would help me if I needed anything… _And maybe you'll be dead by then_

My breathing increased dangerously…I thought about screaming at the top of my lungs for help but then a teeny tiny voice in my head told me to consider that maybe Sylvie was just playing with my head, trying to make me snap. Maybe she would let me for a day, or two days top just as a punishment. I could always scream for help, but doing so a mere minute after her threat could be a little extreme and sure she would laugh at me…I still had my pride after all. No, I will remain silent, she will not hear me screaming for help, no matter what, and if she was serious about letting me die, then let be it…maybe it would be better, just to die, and not to spend the rest of my life trying to _figure her out…_

 _Right?_


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** As I said, here it is! another chapter... I'm overwhelmed for your comments, it makes me so happy that you are enjoing it, thank you so much for your support. For those asking for more interaction between Piper and Alex, I just ask for a little patience; it's going to take some time for these two to understand each other but it will occur very soon. For the moment enjoy the new chapter and as always, I will appreciate your comments/suggestions/or wathever you want to say ;)

 **CHAPTER VII (Alex POV)**

After taking a long bath, I went to the big library next to my room. I lit the flames of the fireplace and took my usual seat in front of it. My mind was full of all kinds of thoughts that I simply wanted to avoid. In a futile effort to occupy my brain on another subject, I took a book from the pile that was stacked on the small table beside my seat. After several attempts to resume the reading where I had left it, I closed the big book with a loud thud that camouflaged my sound of exasperation. Why could not I stop thinking about her? She seemed to have captured every single one of my thoughts in so little time. Could Nicky be right? Did I like her? No one but me could hear my internal debate, so I allowed myself to reflect deeply on the matter. One thing was sure…definitely this girl had aroused a great interest in me, I could not deny it to myself…but why?

The most basic reasoning led me to discard the possibility that Nicky had suggested to me…no way I could like her; she was pretentious and vain, just as a princess could be; solely, her social position displeased me, nevertheless, I could not deny that she had certain attributes that had surprised me. She had proved to be brave and strong, sacrificing her life for her loved ones. Even her obstinacy was worth admiring, although that same quality could lead her to appear arrogant, and that exactly was the reason that pushed me to challenge her; for some reason I thought it would be fun to see how far her pride would get, I had bet internally that it would go far. But then, I remembered our encounter that morning, she seemed a completely different person, so docile; her attitude made me miss her haughtiness, maybe this place had already quenched that fire inside of her, I thought with sadness, No, it's not at all quenched…Just a moment ago I had witnessed it, when she defended herself from Sylvie calling her stupid. Maybe she had decided to swallow her pride and fulfill her part of the deal, but that did not mean that she was going to let herself be trampled. _How is her second night going?_ For a moment I wished to be able to observe her, I could do it actually, just going to her cell and have a look, but I decided against it… _If you don't like her, why are you so eager to see her?_ Whatever! I'll wait until tomorrow…

I closed my eyes and my mind gave me an illusion of her, it almost seemed real; she was placidly lying on her cot, her face lit by the scarce light of the moon that managed to seep through the cloudy sky and then through the cell's window. _The cell_ …I pondered... _It´s not a place for someone like her_. I felt suddenly upset for allowing Sylvie to keep her in the common's cells…she was not a criminal, _what were you thinking Alex?_ I decided that the next morning I would order Sylvie to give her a room in the area enabled for the permanent servitude.

My brain continued to ramble, offering memories of her; I realized that I had been paying more attention that I would like to admit, because my mind had stored a wide repertoire of mementos regarding her physical attributes. I'm not going to lie, she was a real beauty; her golden hair shone with the light of a hundred dawns, and her eyes were the warmest blue color, like the waters of a lake in midsummer, encouraging you to immerse yourself in them, and not even the best artist could have done justice to the sweetness of her unblemished face. I recall never had seen anything like her… _that was it!_ She was just different, unique, that's why she got my attention, _it is not because I like her_ …I tried to fool myself while I wished the hours to pass quickly for dawn to arrive but I was not that lucky…the passage of the hours turned out to be excruciating. For the first time I was glad to see Sylvie's face in the morning…

"Good morning my lady…" I tried to contain my prompt joy and returned her greeting indifferently

"Good morning Sylvie…"

"Do you have plans to leave the house today my lady?" I was thankful that she did not ask me her stupid recurrent question about how had I spent the night, but this was not a common question, besides, she always seemed to know my activities almost better than me, which made me cast doubt on her motives, I knew her too well, _what is she up to?_

"Not really…I was hoping to spend a _quiet_ day" I simply said, wondering if she had caught the subtle warning in my words "Unless _someone_ dare to interrupt me"

"Hopefully not my lady" She hesitated, so yes, she had definitely caught the hint "Will you take your breakfast here or in your room?"

"Leave it in my room, I'll be there in a second"

"As you wish" She walked out of the library and I headed toward my room. She arranged the table with my breakfast. The smell of freshly baked bread almost made my stomach grumble. I was hungry; I realized that the day before I had not eaten anything. I sat at the table and focused on my breakfast, more generous than usual

"This looks good" It smelled incredible, but I knew it was not going to taste as good. It was just another of my curses…even the most delicious food tasted plain in my mouth

"I ordered it special for today…" She said in a sweet voice that was not her own

"What's with today?" I asked suspiciously

"Nothing, I just remembered that yesterday you did not eat all day, so I figured you'd be hungry my lady…" this totally took me aback

Usually, Sylvie was always aware of my needs, an exemplary maid, but a special breakfast? This was new to me. She totally had an inner motive that made her extra nice to me, but I just ignored her and started eating. As I predicted, the food did not meet my expectations. Red, the kitchen's cook, had been trying for years to dazzle me with her meals, but nothing seemed to work. Even so, I ate my breakfast satisfied. When I finished, I noticed that Sylvie was still lingering awkwardly around.

"Whatever you have to say, just say it…" I said trying not to raise my voice, she could be quite annoying at times "You are just making me nervous"

"What do you mean my lady?" She asked innocently

"You are not fooling anyone Sylvie, so cut to the chase…" She got me tired sometimes

"I…" She began undecided "I just don't want to bother you with nonsense"

"Then don't bother me with your nonsense" I replied; I refused to fall into her game, if she had something to say, I was not going to beg her to do it. She lowered her face with my words, concealing her anger, and not willing to talk. I decided it was a good time to tell her to assign Piper a proper room "By the way… there's something I wanted to discuss with you"

"You will say my lady" Anger was still fresh in her voice

"It's about Piper" With the mention of her name, her face became contorted

"What about her?" Her jaw was so clenched, that I could almost hear her teeth squeaking

"I've been thinking, I don't want her in the common cells" I firmly said

"My lady?" Of course, she was not going to take this very well

"I want you to give her a room at the permanent servitude area" For a moment I thought she was about to faint from rage

"I cannot tolerate such a thing!" She said trying really hard to control her anger

"What did you say?" I asked in disbelief. Was she actually refusing to fulfill my will?

"Last night…" She moderated her tone "She crossed a line"

"Oh please!...is this because she dropped the bucket of water?…because if that's so, I don't want to hear about it!" I got up to stand by the window

"It's not that…to what I mean, it happened later, at the kitchen" this must be what she had been waiting to tell me, what she had been waiting for me to beg her to tell me. I turned to see her

"What happened?" And I fell for it. I honestly could not care less; knowing her, it sure was a very silly thing

"It also concerns Nicky" the mention of Nicky got my attention, what could she have to do with it?

"Alright…" I encouraged her to continue as I approached closer to her

"Well, last night, I ordered Piper to go to her cell, because it was time for it. She complained about it because she had not dined yet, but of course, I was not intending to leave her without eating; I was going to take her some dinner at her cell…anyways…Nicky appeared at that moment invalidating my authority and even invited her to have dinner with her when she is not allowed to sit at the main table…" She finished outraged. So far, the story did not seem as serious as her tone could have indicated, still, there was something that bothered me

"What did she do?" Was all I wanted to know

"Who?"

"Piper…what did she do?" I asked fretfully

"She _obviously_ accepted Nicky's invitation more than delighted" I didn't like that a bit

"Obviously?" Why did she emphasize that word?

"Well…you know Nicky…she can be very charming with the ladies" I felt something twisting inside of me

"And what did you do?" I demanded with a clenched jaw

"After being ridiculed by both, I could not do more than leave, completely humiliated…" I imagined Piper having fun with Nicky, sharing laughs and dinner together…the rage grew relentlessly

"You should have come to me and tell me immediately!" I reproached her

"You said you did not want to be disturbed my lady" _Was she telling me the truth?_

"You better not be lying Sylvie…" I warned her

"Why should I lie?" She said honestly and I believed her, because indeed, why was she going to lie? Besides, I knew Nicky too well, and she had already shown interest in her just the day before…surely she had become infatuated with her, and the fact that I had somehow _claimed_ her probably even helped to make her more obstinate about having her, she loved impossible causes. Had she succeeded in seducing her and take her to her room? No, it could not be possible…the princess was probably very naïve, but under no circumstances could she fall into such situations… _right?_

"Where is Piper now?" I asked just in case…Nicky could be very persuasive

"In her cell…last night I watched Nicky accompany her to it, so when she left, I locked her door" I felt an immediate relief "What should I do my lady? I cannot allow my authority to be questioned by a newcomer…the other girls respect me" _No they don't respect you, they fear you_ I was about to say "What will happen when they see that _she_ can do whatever she wants?"

"No, absolutely not, you're right…you cannot tolerate this" And I was not going to tolerate Nicky going behind my back

"And now I must get her out of the common cells and give her a room…"

"No…you will not do such thing…" The tone of my voice was completely foreign

"But you just said…"

"Forget what I said…! She stays right where she is…I don't want her to have any kind of exchange with anyone!" _She obviously accepted Nicky's invitation more than delighted_ … Sylvie's words resonated still in my head… _well, let's see how delighted you are going to be_ …I thought with bitterness

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know! Change her schedule…make her work when everyone is asleep, and the hours she's not working, I want her locked up in her cell; there she will eat and spend all day, with no contact with the outside, and for today, leave her there all day without eating, understood?" Sylvie was enthralled with my instructions

"More than understood my lady" A dangerous smile was on her lips "I knew you would not let them make fun of me like that" She approached me encircling my neck with her hands, wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue in a seductive gesture "You look tense" She began massaging my shoulders "You know? I happen to know a wonderful way to release tension"

"Oh yeah?" My anger had caused an unidentified desire in me, so I let Sylvie take care of me

"Yes…" She caught my lips passionately, and with my eyes closed, I guided her to the bed urgently.

Why did I suddenly consider Sylvie so appealing? I pushed her unceremoniously making her gasp wildly when hitting the mattress. I lay down on her, and I started feasting, kissing her neck…

"Ohhh my lady" She heavily breathed out…but it was not the voice I was expecting

"Shhh…don't speak" I ordained her. I kissed her to stop her from talking. Unintentionally, I started to imagine what it would be like to kiss _her_ lips, why couldn't I get her out of my head? _Could my present arousal be due to her?_ I thought, because that sudden outburst could not be caused by Sylvie…I froze at my realization

"Don't stop please" Sylvie pleaded while her hands ruminated all over my chest; I opened my eyes to find her face…it was the wrong face, the wrong hands, the wrong lips; everything was wrong "Are you alright?" She asked when she noticed I couldn't move

"It's…nothing, just…" I said nothing else and forced myself to go on, to prove me wrong, this is not about her… so I ravished Sylvie's neck and my right hand began to lift her skirt

"What…about…Nicky?" She asked with ragged breathing making me stop, taking a look at her face

"What about her?" I cautiously asked

"Aren't you going to punish her? For making fun of me" Yes...I was going to have a conversation with Nicky, but not because she had insulted Sylvie because, in truth, I could not care less

"Yes…of course…" I lied and she resumed our kissing very pleased with my answer, but I did not want to go on…I couldn't. A sickening feeling took over me…I had to break our kiss, I had to stop...

"What is it?" She asked… _I don't want you…it feels wrong_ I thought

"I'm…I'm not feeling good…" I honestly answered but she did not buy it "You'd better go" I suggested before getting out of the bed. She did the same, arranging her clothes and glancing at me with resentment

"By you leave my lady" she delivered surly

"Tell Nicky to come to see me…!" I got to say before she left the room

 _What is wrong with me?_ I began to feel I had no control over my…feelings? _You don't have feelings!_ But even when I wanted to deny it, I could not help having a sense of guilt, as if I had done something wrong _But you do bad things all the time_ …I reminded myself. The sound of the door opening made me jump

"Holy shit…Did I actually scare you?" And there she was…the biggest idiot in the world

"It would be really nice if you knocked on the door before entering for once" She never did

"Did you want to see me?" She asked oblivious to what I was going to say to her. I did not answer right away, instead, I walked to the bar and poured some liquor in a glass "A little bit early for a drink don't you think?" She joked

"I thought I made it very clear Nicky" It's all I said, but she did not seem to grasp what I was talking about

"Errrr…what?" Was she acting ignorant or she really had no idea?

"About Piper" I think I had nothing else to say for her to understand what my point was

"Yeah, I mean, her name rings a bell but I'm definitely not following you…" There was no way for her to take anything seriously, so I had to toughen my tone

"Stay away from her Nicky…I'm not kidding" I faced her with a severe face

"Ohhh right" She patted her head with her hand, as if remembering something "Because she is _yours_ …"

"Don't cross the line Nicky…you know I appreciate you, but you must learn once and for all your limits…"

"You appreciate me?" She exclaimed in disbelief "That's a great compliment, considering that you could say the same for your drinks…" I had hurt her

"No…that's not what I…" I tried to fix the damage

"No Alex, it's fine really…" She stopped me from keep talking "It's not your fault that you are as emotional as a dead log, besides, I know that there is much more under the rotten bark…you are just afraid of showing it"

"There's nothing more under" I said dully

"Yes, there is! I know you! And you obviously have a thing for this girl, what's the big deal?"

"I don't have a thing for her!" I was still trying to understand what was going on inside me, I could not talk to her about it "I just don't want you near her!"

"But why noooot!?" She was expecting me to recognize that she was right

"Sylvie told me what happened yesterday!" I almost spitted the words

"Oh yeah, and Sylvie is a very reliable source of information…" She rolled her eyes

"So you deny it? You didn't invite her to have dinner with you?"

"No, I'm not going to deny it…I did it" She said blatantly "So?"

"So?..." _yes Alex…so?_ I had no answer "She is not allowed to do so! her place is in the common dining room…" it was the poorest reply, and she knew it

"Oh pleaaaase Alex…she's not a criminal! I just wanted to be nice with her"

"Oh yes, because you are _nice_ to girls for no reason at all" I added sarcastically

"In this case, yes, I was just being nice" she said casually

"Why?" I asked because I could not conceive Nicky being kind to a girl for no reason. She narrowed her eyes, thinking about something

"Maybe you are right after all…maybe there's nothing under the bark, because apparently you are not even able to understand why I was being nice to her" I let her to go on because I was interested in hearing what she had to say "Just open your brain Alex, just for a tiny moment and try to put yourself in her place, would you?…She just arrived to this place so different from her home, I would even say it's scary for her; she just lost everything she had in the world, her loved ones, her past, her present, her future…you put her in a cell and make her share her meals with criminals, and what's worst, you put her under Sylvie's orders…I mean, what are you trying to do? To break her?" I turned my back on her, I felt something close to shame, and I did not want her to see it…since _that_ was exactly my purpose…to break her. But she knew me too well, and even though she could not see my face, she understood "Got damn! Alex! Is that what you intended?" She was the only person I had ever allowed to reproach me

"And what do you care?!" I recognized openly in her face "I've got my reasons and ultimately it's none of your business!"

"You are right…it's none of my business" Again that stupid smile on her face

"What's so funny?!"

"Nothing" She denied with her head and made a great effort to contain the laughter "I just…I just wish I could understand _why_ you are doing this…"

"Because…she is arrogant and haughty…I tried to be kind to her and instead of thanking me, she behaved insolently, and I will not consent it!" The anger stirred inside me

"I think the real problem is that you've met your match…" She said under her breath

"I heard that" I glanced her coldly

"My bad" She made a conciliatory gesture "Maybe she's all those things you said…but I don't think she is going to learn any lesson this way, if anything, it can only make it worse"

"What do you mean?"

"Last night at dinner, she did not show herself as you are describing her…instead, she seemed pretty unpretentious…I mean, she shared the table with me and Red for crying out loud!" yeah…that was actually surprising "And we had a nice time, she was even cheerful and laughing at times…" I felt a spasm on my insides because I had not had the chance to see her smile…Nicky continued talking "What I want to tell you is that…maybe you can accomplish much more simply by not… _provoking_ in her that sort of reactions"

"Are you implying that I somehow _provoke_ her to be arrogant?" I was slightly offended

"Oh Alex…don't play the fool with me…you can be very arrogant as well sometimes…" Argh! How much I hated Nicky when she was right

"So…what do you suggest I do?"

"First of all…to treat her as an actual person; she's here paying a debt, not serving a sentence, and second of all, you could try to be nicer with her and being, you know… a little less _pushy_ and _scary_ around her, maybe, I don't know, you could try to start a conversation with her or sharing a meal" I pondered each one of her words, and on second thought my reaction seemed a bit exaggerated. Now my reasons to break her did not make sense, why would I make her suffer? What could I gain from that? If she had already given me everything she had

"I...I could do that" I reluctantly recognized

"See? You're not a rotten log after all…" She smiled fondly at me but then she changed her demeanor, as if thinking very deeply of something "This feels good...reeeaaaally really good"

"What?" I asked regretting it immediately, I knew I had fallen into her trap

"To be right…I guess you are not familiar with the sentiment"

"Shut up…" Her shit eating grin grew wider. She began walking out of the room

"Oh! And by the way…I _appreciate_ you too" She managed to dodge the cushion that I threw at her face with the door

"Idiot…" I said even though she had already left the room

The conversation with Nicky made me forget my previous anger. _What if I like her? What if I want to see her?_ Nobody cared, only me… _well, there is a person who might care_ I thought, but I decided I would not worry about it then. I ran to the closet to get dressed…I started to think what I would do, what I would say to show her a different me, I wanted her to have a new conception of me, very distant to what I had shown her so far, and maybe I could get to see that part of her that Nicky told me about…maybe I would get lucky and even see her smile...Yes, that would be my purpose for today, I will make her smile. I got dressed and went without delay to that part of the castle I had never stepped on, determined to swallow my pride and apologize if necessary, everything to see _her smile…_


	8. Chapter 8

**VERY IMPORTANT!** Before you read this chapter I must clarify that apparently there has been an error with the last update (Chapter 7) because I updated it on Saturday (May 6th) but the last update was set on Thursday (May 4th) which is the date on which I updated Chapter 6, so probably, some of you have not realized that I uploaded Chapter 7 because it seems as if I never would have done it and I'm really upset about it because I don't understand what happened... Anyway, enjoy chapter 8!

P.S.: Thanks to the "guest" who noticed the error ;)

 **CHAPTER VIII (Piper POV)**

Needless to say, I was unable to conceive the dream that night, thinking about the repercussions that surely I was going to suffer; but above all things, rather than worrying about my own life, I worried about my people. If what Sylvie had told me was true, then it was clear to me that Lady Vause was a wicked creature…What if my actions had offended her to the point of undoing our agreement? She had already warned me that first night when we met, about what would happen if I dared to change my mind…

 _…_ _As long as you remain loyal and obliging the agreement will remain…I can undo everything in the blink of an eye and make it a thousand times worse…_

"But I did not do anything wrong!" I said out loud to no one in particular

Another train of thought began to scare me…How could she make it worse than it already was? She represented the worst of evils on earth; certainly, her imagination when it came to make people suffer was endless. I got goosebumps, and even wished for her only punishment to be letting me starve, after all, that would be probably the least painful way

"Good morning your highness" Her voice began to cause in me a great animosity "I hope you are not very hungry this morning…My lady just stood by her decision about your punishment"

"Whatever" I muttered under my breath, not even bothering to turn my eyes to the opening of the door

"You will not think the same thing when you'll have to work on an empty stomach" she said almost jokingly "Try to get some rest, because I promise, you'll even wish to die soon" she started laughing and left…I could hear her laughter drifting down the hall

"I hope so…" I wished. I was so tired that her words did not seem to reach me

I stayed in the same position I had been in for hours. I was sitting on my cot, with my back and head against the wall. My numb arms encircling my bent knees, in an attempt to keep myself from falling apart; all I did was look at the little piece of sky that the barred window allowed me to see, trying to discern the passage of time, but it was futile with the permanently cloudy sky... I could hear some screams and wondered if I would be screaming like that very soon. After a while, a soft knock on my door made me turn my head, which caused a spam in my neck from its recent stiffness. I fixed my eyes on the opening of the door and saw a face that I did not expect to see…

"Can I come in?" She said with a serious face…Was she kidding me? Was she actually asking for permission?

"I thought you owned the whole place…Do you really need my permission?" I dared to say even though my heart was throbbing fast with terror…What was she going to do to me?. She laughed softly

"No, I don't need your permission, I was just leaving the decision in your hands" She was staring at me cryptically, making me feel self-conscious. I considered her words...

"So, if I say no…will you leave?" I asked incredulous; I didn't think she would take a no for an answer

"I would rather you said yes…" Just as I had predicted

"Then what's the point of asking my permission?" I retorted annoyed, she was unbelievable!

"I was just being polite" her tone darkened and despite fear, I did not care, maybe if I made her angry, she would end my life soon

"Why would you want to come in anyways? to watch me starve in the front row?" I asked with hatred, but instead of getting angry, she guffawed

"Starve? I've been told that you had a great feast last night…and you have not even spent half a day without eating" She said disdainfully, making me feel stupid

"Yes…and I apparently committed a great offense by accepting that stupid dinner and now I must pay for it!…right? Let's get this over with and do whatever you have to do with me!" My body seemed to move on its own. Without being aware of it, I was then standing right at the door, facing her as close as I could through the opening; her face was bewildered and I could feel my heart stuck in my throat…I froze, watching her face closely waiting for her to unleash her rage, I truly feared for my life. After an eternal moment, she narrowed her eyes dissecting me with a face hard to read

"Actually…" She slowly began as if amused "I came to invite you to dinner"

"What?" I was stunned…

"I came to invite you to dinner…tonight…with me" She repeated each word carefully...Of course, I did not believe that _that_ was her sole purpose…Why was she going to invite me to dinner when only a moment ago she had decided to leave me all day without eating?… _It's a trap Piper…do not fall in her games, this must be just a cruel joke_ I told to myself

"Is this some sort of…twisted joke?" I was repulsed by her… _Did she really think I was such an idiot? That I was going to say yes?_

"What? No…I'm serious" She seemed sincere, but she had already lied to me in the recent days…

"And do I really have a choice?" I asked resigned

"Well…I would tell you again…I'd rather if you said yes…" There was no way to discern her true motives in her face devoid of gestures

"And if I say no?" I said defiantly watching closely for some reaction. She showed nothing…although I could swear her eyes darkened several shades. In a low, monotonous voice she retorted after some seconds...

"Do you really prefer to stay in here… _starving_ , rather than having dinner with me?" The blood seemed to freeze in my veins when her icy breath caressed dangerously my face. I don't know how I got the courage to say the following words…

"Yes…I'd rather starve than accept _anything_ from you…in fact, from now on I will not eat anything" I hissed every word. She disappeared suddenly, and in the blink of an eye, I felt her presence behind my back. I turned around and tried to dodge her, but she did not leave me room to move, as she had already caught me against the door with a force that I could not fight "Get off of me!" In vain, I pushed her with all my might

"I've got some bad news for you, look at me!" When I did so, I felt helplessly trapped by her sight, and I stopped resisting her hold "You are not allowed to starve because you must live in order to pay your debt…do you understand?" She said tensely

 _"_ _You will serve me every day of your life until your last breath and then the debt will be paid_ " I recited her own words that had been etched in fire in my mind "You never specified when I was going to have my last breath…" I smiled triumphaly

"I do not recommend you seeking for loopholes in the contract…" I immediately knew that I had committed a stupidity…How was I going to beat her in her own game? "I could argue that, since you _belong_ to me, I can force you to eat...otherwise, you will leave your people unprotected" She deleted my smile with her words

"And what are you going to do? To shove food down my throat?" _Do not give her ideas Piper_ …I thought

"If it comes to it, believe me... _I will_ " she sentenced with severity, of course she will. I had lost all argument; I could feel the tears running down my cheeks, my interior burning with rage

"You are a despicable being" I spitted the words impregnated with hate on her face and I thought I had perceived some hint of sadness on her gestures

"You are not the first person to tell me so…" She smiled bitterly and let me go, loosening her grip. She stepped back a couple of steps, with her eyes still fixed on me "You've made a terrible mistake…I was _really_ trying to be kind to you, well guess what? It'll be the last time, and if you thought you were having a bad time, you better be ready for what awaits you because from this moment…I will not have mercy" Her icy low voice echoed in the small space of my cell, and in a second she was nowhere to be found, although I could still feel her presence in the coldness of the air she left behind

I felt lost and frustrated. _Could it be true? Was she trying to be nice to me?_ No, that would be absurd. Clearly she just meant to make fun of me. To hell with her! To hell with Sylvie…to hell with everyone! The tears began to sprout dangerously from my eyes; I knew then that I was not going to be able to stop them…I cried for hours…until my eyes were not able to produce more tears. It was getting darker, so I assumed we were close to nightfall. I was lying on my cot, facing the wall when I heard footsteps approaching down the hall…

"Pssst! Piper!" I turned around and finally found a friendly face

"Nicky…!" I greeted her while I sat on the edge of the cot

"What happened?" She asked me urgently with a hushed voice

"Why don't you ask your friend… _Lady Alexandra_ " I said her name with disgust

"Yeah, I tried but she won't tell me, and I'm afraid that if I insist she'll bite my head off" she said with some worry

"Would she really do that to you?" I was horrified, _what else would she be capable of?_

"Alex? Noooo…It was just a way to express how _pissed_ she is..." She dismissed my worries "She's _really_ angry and to be honest, it's kind of scary, I mean, I've never seen her like that…What did you do to her?"

"What did I do to her?" I couldn't believe her words…now it was my fault?! "Are you serious?"

"Well, I know she made you a visit, from which she returned infuriated"

"And you immediately have to assume that I am the cause of her anger?" To be honest, I was certain that I was the cause of her anger, but it bothered me that she took it for granted

"No, I did not assume anything, she just happened to be really mad after being with you" I had to bite my tongue to keep my manners…

"What happened…" I started explaining Nicky through gritted teeth "Is that she is nothing but a _vile monster_!"

"Whoaaa…slow it down…that's a little harsh thing to say" she reproached me

"Are you really defending her?" It was unbelievable!

"No, I'm not doing such thing, I just want you to explain to me what the hell happened with you two!"

"I'll tell you what happened…just a few hours after ordering Sylvie to let me starve as a reprimand for sharing dinner with you, she came here and invited me to have dinner with her…can you believe it?!" Just remembering the whole exchange made me outraged, but Nicky was at a loss

"And?" She did not seem to get my point

"And!?" I said back "Who does she think she is? Does she think that she can go around playing with people like that? I know I gave her my freedom, but that does not give her the right to treat me like a rag doll!"I raised my voice

" _Shhhhh_...Keep your voice down!" She advised me "Piper, she was not messing with you…I…I kind of gave her the idea" I was speechless…Why would Nicky do that?

"Why?" I hardly uttered after a moment

"For… _reasons_ I can't explain to you" _How specific!_ I wanted to say, but she continued to explain calmly "She has a…wrong conception of you. I just wanted her to get to know you like Red and I did last night…"

"Wrong conception? But why?"

"Well, she thinks that you are pretentious and arrogant and proud and…" How far would the list of compliments go?

"I think that's enough! You can stop right there!" She made an apologetic grimace and mouthed _sorry_ "It's actually hilarious that she thinks those things of me, when she herself is the very representation of arrogance"

"Yeah well…Alex is a piece of work" Nicky laughed with affection...I looked at her criptically

"You are fond of her" It was not a question. It was obvious in the way Nicky referred to her

"She's the closest thing to a family that I have" I wanted to understand how someone like Nicky could feel affection for someone like _her_. She must've seen my look of confusion… "Last night you asked me how I got here…well, I think now is as good a time as any other to tell you my story" I got closer to the door to listen attentively "I really do not remember, so I cannot tell you what happened from my point of view. I was abandoned on the edge of the dark forest as a new born. Apparently in some villages people believe that red haired children are ominous. They leave them anywhere and sometimes they are offered to the darkness, believing that this way they will have the goodwill of the warden, also known as… _Alex...s_ ome people believe that she feeds on babies, can you believe it? idiots!" She snorted rolling her eyes "Anyways…many children are not as lucky as I was…if they are not devoured quickly by wolves and other beasts…they die from starvation. But that was not my case…fortunately she found me and took me home with her"

"So…you are like a daughter for her?" She guffawed at this

"No…let's say her maternal instinct is terrible or rather nonexistent…" she joked "She left me under Red's care, but she personally took care of my education. She taught me how to read, to write, to ride and over time, I became her right hand and her friend" The story stirred something in my heart. All of a sudden, another image of _her_ formed in my mind…I could visualize her sitting at the table with a young Nicky, having the patience to teach her to read and to write. It seemed a bit strange though, I could not do the math but, Lady Vause seemed pretty young

"There's something…I don't understand" Nicky watched me expectantly "How old was she when she found you?" My question caused another round of laughter

"Don't you know anything about the Warden of the Dark?" She asked in disbelief

"I know some stories" I claimed unconvinced

"Like the one where she eats babies?" I was embarrassed because that was one of the most common stories

"No…" I denied but she looked skeptical "Well…maybe. The truth is that they never let us talk about it, much less say its name...in fact, if she had not materialized herself at my father's request, I would have never fully believed in its existence"

"Well, there are a lot of things to know about her"

"Will you tell me?" I was suddenly very curious after Nicky's story

"No, I won't be the one to tell you those stories" she smiled enigmatically

"Then who?" I asked mystified

"Alex, of course…" she answered coolly

"I don't think that will happen…she probably hates me to death right now" As always, I began to regret my impulsive actions

"I don't think she hates you…you just hurt her pride, it'll pass…" She stated unconcerned

"She could have explained her intentions in a better way, but…she is very hard to read…I swear I thought she only intended to humiliate me"

"I know…she lacks some social skills; I'm working on it" She explained "Maybe…you could…" she started saying but seemed unsure about how to deliver her words

"What…?" I asked wary

"I don't know it's just a thought…but perhaps, if you'll apologize to her…"

"Why should I do that?" I knew that maybe I could have acted more lightly when she offered me to have dinner with her, instead of throwing more wood into the fire, but under no circumstances I was going to be the one to apologize

"You declined her kind offer in a bad manner…" she argued

"And she has treated me terribly from the very first moment! Making me reject her offer vehemently in the first place! If so, she is the one who should apologize to me!" I expressed fervently

"Oh hell…this is going to be impossible…" She uttered under her breath pressing her forehead against the bars of the door

"What's going to be impossible?" I did not know what she was referring to

"Nothing, just…please" She pleaded "Don't get into more troubles"

"But I haven't…" I was going to start to complain

"Just stay unnoticed! No replies, stick to _Yes my lady, no my lady_ and so on…can you do that?"

"I…I guess…" I was really going to try for Nicky's sake

"Very good…Look, I've got to go, I'm not supposed to talk to you" She was cautious out of nowhere

"When will I see you again?" Nicky so far, was the only thing closest to a friend, it worried me not to see her anytime soon

"Very soon I promise" She grinned and winked at me and left

I was starting to grow anxious to be locked up for so long. I was hungry and thirsty…I should have asked Nicky for some water at least. Our conversation had completely distracted me from my needs. Now, without distractions, I was very aware of the thirst I felt. I had not eaten or drunk anything since last night and my body was beginning to notice it. I lay down on the cot and began to daydream with food and drinks…and a big bath…with warm water. I had not had a bath for two days, and with the physical work from the previous day I felt grubby. I remembered with panic the stench of the common dining room, the people in there seemed to have spent weeks without touching water…How often were they allowed to bathe? Was I going to get to that degree of filth?

"Get up! It's time to work" Sylvie took me by surprise at those hours

"But it's night…" I was slightly confused

"I'm not blind…Now you'll do night work, my lady's orders" she explained smugly although I did not need explanations, I knew very well where the orders came from

"Could I at least have some water?" The next word was very difficult to pronounce in front of her "Please" I pleaded swallowing my pride

"Yes, sure...after you finish cleaning my lady's room" She said ironically, and I did not understand the joke behind her words. How was it possible for someone as unpleasant as Sylvie exist in this world? _Well, look around you Piper, you are literally in the earth's hell_ "Come on!" She hurried me and I, trying to keep my word to Nicky, complied submissively

"Yes ma'am" I would not say a word of complaint from now on; that I had sworn…


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello! I hope your week has been beautifully! I bring you a new chapter...maybe it's a bit short but I promise you...next one will be longer, i'm working on it ;) As always, I must thank you for wonderful comments and support. I hope you enjoy...see you in the comments... Regards!

 **CHAPTER IX (Alex POV)**

I got to my room in an instant; I forced myself to disappear before committing some stupidity, like taking her life…but no…I would not give her the pleasure to die any time soon. _I'd rather starve than accept anything for you_ …Those had been her words. The loathing with which she delivered them was tangible; it almost felt as if I had been slapped on the face, humiliating… _painful_. The rage was so blinding that I do not even know how I was able to restrain myself from hurting her when I entered her cell to face her closely. Her rejection awakened the darkest part of my being; the one that cost me so much to keep tamed and that always remained latent but had been dormant for a long time. I wanted her to suffer…if she already hated me, she'd better prepare for what would come. I had vowed to myself to make it slow, and unbearable. She would have two options; ask for clemency or to die…

The beast contained within me got out of control, and at that time did not attend to reasons. I started to destroy everything that was within my reach…I blew bottles and ornaments against every wall; I ripped the velvet curtains out of every window and threw in the air each table and chair I could find. A firm knock on my door was heard over the sounds of my destruction…

"Alex!" Nicky exclaimed through the door, her voice muffled by it "What happened?" I tried to come back to me, but the fury was still itching in my skin…

"Don't come in Nicky!" I sternly warned her in a voice that was not mine… "I'm serious"

"I'm not scared of you" She said with confidence, although for the first time in her life she did not dare to open the door "C'mon…why don't you talk to me?" she could not bring me to my senses

"Get oooout!" I growled stamping a lamp against the door

I did not hear anything else from her. My hands were shaking at their will, my eyes seeking for some unscathed object, but it appeared that there was nothing left to smash. I allowed myself a couple of seconds to take in the wreckage I had caused, ashamed of myself…A hysterical laugh began to burst from the very depths of my throat…The whole situation was enormously absurd; _who was she to trigger that reaction in me? to make me lose control like that?_ She was nobody, a mere mortal, fully replaceable… _Really Alex? Could you really replace her?_ Another part of me inquired, reminding me that a moment ago I had just considered that _maybe_ I liked her. Well…to hell with her! From then on I was going to consider her dead for all it mattered to me; as if she had never existed. I would order Sylvie to keep her away from me, to put her to work at hours when it was impossible for me to run into her…I did not want to see her again, I did not like the things she made me feel, the influence she seemed to have on me. After my sudden outburst, I could feel I was slowly regaining control over my rawest being…I picked up a chair from the floor and dropped myself on it; I felt tired. I let the silence calm me down for a long time

"Alex?" Of course she was not going to give up…this time her voice was softer "Please…let me come in…" I did not answer. I heard the door squeak timidly and turned my head to see her peering cautiously… "Are you alright?" She asked tentatively…I think her real intention was to ask if I was under control. I stared into her eyes to respond

"Yes…" I said…although my voice was still tinted with some grievous nuance. She stepped in, but kept a reasonable distance from me, her wary eyes did not leave mine

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Nothing happened"

"Oh…so I must guess that you just wanted to change the décor of your room…" she added ironically

"It's not a good moment for your jokes…" I replied sullenly

"I wonder if…by any chance it has something to do with a _certain_ blonde" the mention of her revived my recent outbreak. I got up and approached her intensely, taking her by the arms

"Don't you ever dare to mention her in my presence…I don't want to know anything about her and I strictly forbid you to get near her ever again…" Again, that strange voice took over me, low and deep…her eyes were filled with fear at my intensity, and I think it was a first, she had never feared me before, so sure she knew I was very serious this time…

"Alright…take it easy…" she barely said trying to soothe me "I'll do as you say…" I loosened my grip on her arms and let her go

"You better…because if you don't, she will suffer the consequences, so if you care for her, keep yourself away from her…" I felt the need to reinforce my threat…Nicky knew I could never hurt her, but maybe if I told her that Piper was going to be the one to pay for her disobedience, despite being unfair, she would do as I said…

"That won't be necessary" she said firmly "Now…are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"No…I will not talk about it, and do not insist… from now on she is dead to me! Are we clear?!"

"Clear as water…"she nodded in agreement, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender

"Now leave me alone" I commanded. I did not want anyone to see me like this, like the proud creature that I was, I did not like to show my weaknesses, not even to Nicky, who knew me like nobody else

"I'll leave you alone…but if you want to talk about it just…I'll be there for you" after that, she left me halfhearted and I took my seat as if defeated

I was surrounded by chaos. The shattered objects scattered all over the floor were a metaphor of what was happening inside of me...I felt disordered just like the room. I could not understand what I was experiencing…I had not lost control this way for so long _How did she get me so out of my mind?_ Well, it did not matter anyway because it was not going to happen again, I would make sure of it. Sylvie showed up at noon with my lunch. She registered my room with wary eyes…

"My lady?" she began… "What…what happened?"

"Just a little accident…" was all I said without bothering to look in her direction

"Are you alright?" she left the tray on the floor at the entrance, since the usual table for my meals was overturned on the other side of the room

"I'm perfectly fine…" I said with a falling voice, and she did not know what to do…

"I'm…I'll clean the mess" she stated and knelt with the intention of starting to clean and began to pile up the small pieces of glass that I could no longer distinguish what object they had belonged to, and I just watched her for a moment, wondering why she had never made me experience not even a tenth of the interest she appeared to arouse in me…it would be much easier. Sylvie had her flaws; for starters, she was not a good person, but to be honest, it was a quality that made me have more in common with Sylvie than with _her._ Nonetheless, she was always very attentive and caring to me, although most likely she did it selfishly, I couldn't know sometimes…did she really care about me?

"Sylvie…" I called her attention…from the ground she looked up with curiosity… "Why are you always so kind to me?" _Was it out of fear? Was it for self-interest? Was it because she really cared about me? Did she feel obliged to do so?_ My question seemed to disconcert her

"Because, I'm to serve you my lady" Her answer did not satisfy my concerns

"So you feel obliged…" I assumed after what she said

"No…not _obliged_ …I do it with pleasure my lady" I did not believe her, I knew she was lying but I did not insist because, how could I even ask that? It was a stupid question with an obvious answer… All who served me had to do it fervently; after all, they owned me their lives. I had granted them pardon for their crimes in return for giving their lives to the service of darkness; they had no choice but to comply…except _her,_ that seemed reluctant to please me…"Why do you ask my lady?" she got me out of my reverie

"For no particular reason…" I simply added and she continued her task but I ordered to stop "Leave that…"

"But…I cannot leave your room like this my lady…"

"Sure there must be someone else who can do it…" she smiled getting up and stepping closer towards me

"I can think of a particular princess…" she purred but I had to interrupt her

"Don't…let's not talk about _her_ …" she stopped right in front of me "I never want to hear from her…ever again" her face was curious

"And what am I supposed to do with her?" she asked puzzled

"Do whatever you want with her" My voice was cold as ice "As long as you keep her alive" I added as I quickly knew that it was a terrible idea to give her so much freedom over her, but my resolution was firm…after what she did, I was not going to change my mind this time, and like I had already stated in my mind, I wanted her to suffer until she begged me for clemency. Sylvie seemed extremely pleased by my words…she leaned toward me, supporting her hands on the armrests of the chair and whispered against my lips…

"How can I repay you for the gesture?" she kissed me biting my lower lip

"I don't…I don't think I'm in the mood Sylvie" I broke the kiss

"Lately you are never in the mood" she complained "Let me take care of you" she breathed heavily, again pressing her lips against mine

Although I knew Sylvie's caring was an illusion, in that moment I couldn't care less. More than ever, I was desperate to experience something that could make me forget the things that were starting to grow inside me. I needed to prove to myself that _she_ did not have any kind of power over me. I closed my eyes and tried to leave my mind blank, but I could not find a way to erase her face, to stop thinking about how her hot lips would feel on mine… _pox on her!_ In that moment I felt great revulsion for Sylvie's lips

"No!" I almost growled pushing her away from me…her face darkened dangerously and she straightened herself biting her tongue…silence took over the room

"Is there anything else I can do for my lady?" She said after some seconds trying to keep her composure with effort

"Send her later to clean this mess…" It was only fair for her to be the one who would clean the wreckage I had caused, after all, none of it would have happened if she had accepted my invitation… "But I don't want to see her" I continued "so make sure I'm at the library first…"

"As you say my lady" She left hastily, leaving my lunch on the floor, and in there it would stay the rest of the day without being touched

That night, I was on the library, trying to keep my mind busy, but I could only concentrate on the sounds coming from the adjoining room; she was in there, only one door apart from me. I got closer to the door, pressing my ear on it…I could hear her footsteps, her laborious breathing by the effort made… _Stay away from her Alex…_ I was startled by the sound of _that_ voice and immediately recoiled from the door... _She does not do you any good_ …For the first time I had to agree with it… _In fact, you should get rid of her as soon as possible..._ except for that last part "What?" I asked out loud shocked by the insinuation… _Ohhh Alex, don't play the innocent with me, I know you better than anyone, I've seen what you are capable of…just tear out her heart…_ "No…" I firmly denied… _That's nothing for you, one heart more one heart less…_ "Shut up!" I shouted and disappeared quickly, getting away from there as soon as possible. I was standing somewhere in the middle of the woods, surrounded by ghostly trees. I waited to hear that damned voice again, but after a while without hearing it, I thought I had it under control. Nevertheless, I stayed put, without daring to return to the castle, afraid to hear the voice again. Why was I so shocked by whatit had told me? when earlier that day I had stated that she was dead to me, that I did not care about what happened to her…It was all too confusing, but one thing was clear, I could not imagine myself tearing out her heart, besides, she had paid me with her freedom, so I needed her alive because otherwise, she would have not value. All I had to do was staying as far from her as possible, as simple as that...

The days after that night were not easy to bear. I had forbidden her presence in the north wing where my chambers were settled, as an extra measure. Nicky had tried to talk to me about her several times, but I had stopped her right away, threatening to worsen her situation, so she had given up. But none of those measures appeared to be enough, sooner or later, I was meant to run into her…

One day, I had left the castle early with Nicky, to go collect payments and felons as we always did once a week, and we had no intentions of returning anytime soon, but we were forced to do so because it had begun to rain fiercely. I was not the one who had problems with the rain; I just did not want Nicky to get a cold. With our clothes soaked and our boots full of mud, we entered through the main wooden gate and there she was…kneeling on the last steps of the great central staircase; I had not seen her for five days...I realized that I had kept track of the days, which was not usual in me. She turned her head when she heard us, and did not know what to do when we locked our eyes; after a couple of seconds, she got up with great effort, supporting herself on the rail. I felt something in the pit of my stomach when I took in her appearance. Her hands were bandaged and held in an awkward way; her bright blue eyes were worn out with dark circles; her cheekbones seemed to stand out prominently, which made me assume that she had not been feeding properly. She seemed about to fade away. I stared into her sad eyes, wanting to tell her… _You are responsible for this, it's your fault, it doesn't have to be this way…ask me for forgiveness;_ she could not bear the intensity of my gaze and lowered her face. We walked towards the stairs. Apparently she had been polishing the black marble of the great stairs, and she had done a great job because the steps had never shone so brightly.

"My lady" She said with a lifeless tone while bowing solemnly. She reached my right hand with her bandaged one to press her dry and cracked lips on it. I felt a lump in my throat and I could not utter a single word. Nicky was the one to respond, although she was not very sure of what to say in such circumstances

"Well ammm" awkwardness was clear in her voice "We better take off our boots…we don't want to stain the stairs with mud after your hard work…" She bent down and began to untie her boots…but I stood my ground

"Thank you Nicky" She referred to Nicky sweetly

Again, she crossed her gaze with mine, and in spite of her deteriorated state, her pride remained unbent in her eyes. She was waiting for me to do the same as Nicky, but there was no way I was going to take off my boots before her look swollen with pride. She looked at me intensely, lifting her chin with pride. I broke our eye contact and started to climb up the stairs, making sure to leave a great amount of mud with every step.

"Alex! What the hell!" Nicky's voice was full with reproach however, it did not stop me "I'm so sorry Piper" I heard her apologizing to her and running behind me with her bare feet, until we got to my room "Alex!" she took me violently by an arm, forcing me to turn around "What the hell are you doing?" She asked really pissed

"What did I do?" I responded nonchalantly untangling myself from her grasp

"Alright…you know what?" she hesitated a moment, but right away determination was clear on her face "Enough is enough! I'm not going to let you keep treating her like this!"

" _You_ …are not going to let _me_ " I repeated her words in disbelief

"Congratulations! You have an excellent hearing" she added sarcastically "You have crossed the line with her…"

"I've crossed a line?" I cut her out

"You have no right to humiliate her like that! You should be ashamed of yourself but I know you will not because you are just an idiotic and self-centered creature!" Nicky had never talked to me like that, she was furious. After shouting at me her eyes showed sadness "Did you see her? Did you notice her thinness? Her weakness? Her bandaged hands?" her words reached me deeply and I could only lower my eyes with shame. She got closer to me trying to look me in the eye "I know you…you are not cruel or sadistic, despite what others think" I finally met her eyes "You are killing her Alex…is that what you really want? Because I think there are faster and less painful ways of doing so…"

"I'm not killing her…she's killing herself" I was reluctant to accept the blame "If she's willing to do so, she can come to me and ask for my forgiveness" She looked at me with a disappointed look and breathed deeply

"Do what you want then…" she sounded tired and started walking away in defeat, but stopped at the door to say one last thing "I just hope you don't regret it when it's too late" and with that, she closed the door behind her and left me in a pit of despair.

With her last words, upsetting images came to my mind...Her lifeless body laying on the cot at her cell…her pale face with no blood to warm her cheeks and the bones protruding through the thin veil of her skin. I felt sick, as if I could vomit at any moment… _What have I done?_ I had promised her to treat her with respect and humanity, and I had failed her. She had given me everything, and I could not even treat her well. It was not going to be easy for me to apologize, it was something I had never done before, but if I did not, the alternative was frightening. In that moment I was certain that I did not want her dead, I did not want her to suffer…I wanted her alive, healthy and happy, if _that_ was possible…

I quickly drew a plan in my mind. I only hoped she was willing to make amends with me because if she wasn't, that would be her last chance…


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Helloooo! I bring you a new chapter, a little earlier (and longer) this week. I hope you enjoy the new events between these two. As always, feel free to comment; every review means the world to me, so thank you for every word of support. I hope to update the next chapter soon, I keep my fingers crossed to meet my deadlines XD

P.S: You are amazing!

 **CHAPTER X (Piper POV)**

I walked terrified to her room. With each step my heart raced more intensely, afraid to meet her after our previous encounter. Sylvie opened the doors of her quarters and I was aghast for what I saw. The room was completely shattered. Nothing of what was before remained intact. I could not help thinking that I had been responsible for her anger and the consequent destruction that I was witnessing. I did not dare to enter so Sylvie turned around when she noticed I was still standing at the entrance…

"What are you doing standing there? Don't you see that there's a lot of work to do?"

"Yes ma'am" I entered the mouth of the wolf unwillingly; there was no point on resisting…

"There has been a small accident as you can see…I hope you are able to clean everything up before dawn" _before dawn?_ I did not know how that was going to be possible

"I'll do my best ma'am" I agreed obediently

"My lady is in the library, behind _that_ door" I glanced at the door she had pointed out "be careful and try no to make noise…she doesn't want to be disturbed…" A shiver ran through all my body only to think that she was only one door away from me "I'm going to sleep, so I'll come for you before dawn…have fun" she finished saying with petulance, and with that, I was left alone in her room.

The damage was immeasurable; I did not know where to start…so I thought that the best idea was to begin with the larger objects. I fixed my eyes on the big wooden table, far from its original position. I tried to set the table up; it was very heavy and I wondered how did it got there, but after a lot of effort I made it, and then dragged it carefully to its original position. I rearranged the chairs that were all over the room around the table, to continue with the side tables and drawers…some furniture had become unusable, so I just piled them outside of the room, at the hall. Little by little I was clearing the spaces, picking up the curtains and sheets, to finally start collecting the thousands of pieces of glass scattered all over the floor.

At some point, I thought I heard her voice coming from the other room, so I was paralyzed with fear, paying special attention in case she decided to come to me… _No_...I heard her say… _Shut up!_...this time louder. I stood still for a moment, but I did not hear anything else. It was strange, as far as I knew, she was alone in there so, _who was she talking to?_ I hurried with my tasks to get out of there as soon as possible.

Sylvie picked me up before dawn, just as she had said. She had the goodness of handing me a leather container with water. I drank the vital liquid desperately…

"Do not drink too fast…it should last you all day, so make good use of it"

I had breakfast in my cell. It consisted of a suspicious orange, a piece of moldy bread and a piece of a more than stale cheese. It took me quite some time to separate the pieces of cheese and bread that had not yet been contaminated with the green stain of mold. I was so hungry that I could not refuse even than awful breakfast. I took a couple of sips of water and made myself stop to save the rest of it, remembering Sylvie's words. I was exhausted, so I decided to take a little nap on my cot. My heavy eyes closed right away, but too soon I heard the authoritative voice again…

"Get up! Don't you even think you are going to get some rest…" _Arrggh…_ How much I wanted to punch her in the face… She had prepared a round of tasks for that day.

The passage of days became eternal and what was worse, I was totally isolated, I could not even see Nicky again. The only interaction that I had was with Sylvie and she was driving me crazy. At some point I was not even able to discern how many days I had been in that place. I had hardly been able to get some rest because Sylvie apparently was very fond of playing tricks with my mind and I was completely disoriented; every time she let me get some rest, it was only to get me back on my feet to keep working almost immediately. Each time she ordered me to perform more and more arduous tasks, however, I was more and more determined to carry them out flawlessly…but she was managing to break my spirit and I did not know how much I was going to be able to stand it.

I could only hope to die of exhaustion, _How much time would it take for that to happen?_ It could not be much, because each second I felt weaker. My legs began to falter during the most intense work…my arms could not carry much weight anymore, and my hands were so swollen that the skin began to crack painfully in every crease. I had to tear off a couple of pieces of cloth from the sheet that covered my cot to wrap them and protect them somehow.

One day, I had been polishing the great central stairs. It had taken me most of the day to do it, but finally, after so much work, I had only a couple of steps to finish. The sound of the big door made me turn my head and I saw her… we stared into each other's eyes. I had not seen her since she visited me in my cell, I did not know how many days ago. I almost felt that my isolation was not by accident, or by Sylvie's rejoicing; I could swear _she_ had been responsible for keeping me secluded. Beside her was Nicky, awkwardly walking behind her. I made the effort to get up; after so many hours on my knees it was an achievement, but I helped myself with the railing. I wasn't sure of what to do. She was still staring at me with a cryptically look that I could not read; her gaze was so intense that it felt too intimate, and I had to look down. They walked in my direction and I had to pay my respects, although I did it grudgingly

"My lady" I bowed and took her cold hand to kiss it. There was an uncomfortable silence, and thankfully Nicky was the one to break it…

"Well ammm" although she was short of words at first "We better take off our boots…we don't want to stain the stairs with mud after your hard work…" she was obviously trying to keep a light tone in such a tense moment, and I appreciated her gesture

"Thank you Nicky" At that moment I realized how much I needed to talk to someone. She had been so nice to me…Nicky's eyes were full of shame and compassion. Surely she had been forbidden to talk to me. Nicky started to untie her boots but her companion did not seem willing to do so. I was suddenly filled with courage and I stared at her, directly in her eyes. I wanted her to feel ashamed for the things she was doing to me; I wanted to show her that despite my condition she was not going to bend me, but of course, she did not seem to care about it. She looked away and began to walk slowly and steadily up the stairs, messing all the steps with mud…

"Alex! What the hell!" Nicky exclaimed "I'm so sorry Piper" She said contrite, as If it were her fault. I could only nod because words did not seem able to leave my mouth. She made an apologetic gesture and went after her…at least Nicky had already taken off her boots.

For days, I had been enduring all kind of humiliations, and that one was the straw that broke the horse's back…or rather, my back. Tears of frustration clouded my eyes, and I could not contain them… _I hate her…I hate her with all my heart_ …I went up the stairs tiredly and began to remove the mud stains mixed with the tears that fell from my eyes. I finished right on time; Sylvie came for me pointing out that it was dinner time. She left me in my cell and already in it was the tray with my dinner. I did not pay attention to what was on the tray and went straight to bed, tiredness eclipsing my hunger. My back and knees hurt like hell, and my hands throbbed painfully. But at the moment I did not care, I only wished that Sylvie would let me sleep, but I was not that lucky of course…

"Wake up!" her voice was a damn torture…I could not move… _Just kill me…kill me now…_ I heard the sound of the keys opening the door "Come on!" she was very close… "My lady is waiting for you…" those words were enough to wake me up…I got up without delay and began to follow her… _What could she want at these hours?_ I thought with fear. In the middle of our walk, I asked Sylvie…

"What does she want from me?" My words had hardly any sound

"You'll know when you get there…besides, I did not give you permission to talk…" As always, she was a peach. I armed myself with courage for whatever was waiting for me. We were already at her door…I took a deep breath and lingered timidly behind Sylvie

"Here she is my lady" Sylvie said. She was sitting at the end of the wooden table, full with food

"Oh…hello" She looked up at me but I said nothing in return… "Sylvie, leave us alone" it was an order that Sylvie did not seem to enjoy, but she had to obey anyway

"As my lady says" she said bitterly. Strange as it may seem, the idea of being completely alone with her was more frightening than the company of Sylvie. I stared at the floor and heard the door close behind me

"You can approach…" She said with the sweetest voice, which made my hair stand on end. With trembling steps I approached the table. I noticed with contempt the amount of food. While her servants, or should I say, slaves, had to settle for half rotten leftovers, she was feasting with a clear conscience… "Are you hungry?" I looked at her to see if she was serious… _of course I am,_ I wanted to say with hatred "You can take whatever you like" Her offer seemed sincere, still, I resisted the temptation

"Thank you but…I…I already ate" of course it was a lie very difficult to deliver because my mouth was watering. Again, her face darkened by rejection, but she seemed to take it better this time

"As you like" She said, clearly making an effort to maintain her composure. She stared at my hands and asked "Is something wrong with your hands?"

"Ammm…no, it's nothing…" I lied again; I was not going to show myself weak in front of her, maybe that's what she was hoping for…

"I asked Sylvie to bring you here because I need you to do something for me…" I was puzzled. She got up and walked to the main closet. I watched her closely. She was wearing that black silk gown that I had already seen her wear "I have some clothes that require some arrangements" she went on while picking out some garments. She turned around and walk in my direction "I assumed that, as the high class girl you are, you must be very skillful with the needle…do you think you can do it?" she stopped a mere step away from me

"Yes…of…of course" I stretched out my hands to take the garments…

"That's terrific…I need them by tomorrow"

"Tomorrow?" I repeated in disbelief

"You said you could…right?" She asked defiantly

"I…I…" Yes, I could do it, if it were not because I was extremely tired and my hands…I didn't think it was going to be possible to do sewing work with my hands, or at least not so fast, but I only needed to see her face to accept the challenge "I can do it" I finally said, repenting almost immediately my obstinacy

"Alright…That'll be all" She dismissed me frigidly

"Goodnight my lady" I bowed before retiring. _What had I gotten myself into?_ I thought holding the pile of clothes in my arms. I started walking towards the door. My eyes were itching to cry but they had run out of tears…I stopped short when I heard her voice again

"You know…" I didn't face her "Pride is a quality that I've always admired in people" I turned slowly towards her, without daring to look up "The right amount of it can help anyone to overcome any situation; it can make weak people strong, cowards to be brave at the right moment...a lot of pride in the other hand…" she moved towards me "I consider it to be stupidly reckless…" Those words made me lift my chin to lock my eyes with hers… "Show me your hands…" she said firmly. It was an order but my body did not seem willing to move, as if her gaze kept me tied in my place. She came closer and took away the garments from my hands, throwing them on the floor. I was suddenly very aware of how close she was, I could even smell her honeyed fragance to lavender; the air between us was chilly, as if the cold emanated from her skin. I felt her icy fingers curl around my wrists, forcing me to bring my hands into the space between us, with my palms facing up; she lowered her eyes to look at them, but I remained fixed on her face, unconsciously detailing each feature. Ever so slightly she began to unravel the bandages, leaving my skin painfully exposed to the cold air. A deep crevice appeared between her perfect outlined eyebrows and her jaw tightened prominently. After several seconds, she raised her eyes again; they appeared to denote immense pain

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered heavily with sorrow "I would ask your forgiveness but I am not worthy of it..." her velvety voice distilled pure grief "I know that I will not be able to forgive myself for what I have done to you, not even in a thousand years...I'm just, terribly sorry for my actions and I hope that some day you can forgive me" _Is she really apologizing to me?_ My mind was numb; I could not register that change in the events. Strangely, I felt the need to forgive her, to soothe her tormented eyes, although she was right, she did not deserve my pardon; even so, the words escaped from my lips without permission

"I forgive you...and I'm...I'm sorry too" I said ever so softly, confusing her

"You are sorry too? For what?!" She exclaimed upset, startling me "I was responsible for you…I promised you would be treated with respect and humanity and look what I have done!" She raised my hands to make her point evident "So please, don't try to appease my guilt" She ended up saying with hostility, looking again at my hands "Let me get you something for your hands…" She left me no option to reply since she was already walking away from me… "Take a sit and make yourself comfortable" she said over her shoulder, this time softening her tone and disappeared through the door leading to the library. I took a seat in a nearby armchair, next to the entrance. She came back in less than a minute carrying a small container in her hand and clean bandages. She knelt in front of me…

"This is just an ointment…it should help you to relieve pain and to heal the wounds" She soaked her fingers on it and began carefully to anoint my hands with it. I felt an initial sting that made me hiss "Sorry…I should have warned you that it was going to itch" but her cold fingers seemed to ease the pain afterwards. Diligently, she rubbed every inch of my inflamed skin, making small and delicate circular motions with her thumbs "This will do it for tonight…" she began to rearrange the bandages "In the morning you must repeat the same procedure, if you want to I can help you do it…" she offered

"No...that won't be necessary…" I was overwhelmed by her sudden concern towards me. She looked disappointed with my answer. There was an uncomfortable silence…she remained kneeled at my feet and I did not know what else to say or to do. Unfortunately, and to my great shame, my stomach growled with hunger…although I think it was mostly attributable to the nervousness caused by her proximity. I could feel the heat of shame covering my face with a reddish tone…she smiled lightly, although it did not reach her eyes that seemed smeared in a perennial gloominess

"You already ate uh…?" She repeated my earlier words

"I was about to…" I began to explain

"And I interrupted you…" She adduced

"No!" I denied anxious...under no circumstances I was going to imply that her orders troubled me… "It was not like that I swear"

"Calm down…I'm kidding" She must have noticed my anxiety "So, if you have not dined yet…I'll ask you again" A faint smile lurking on her lips "Would you like to have dinner with me?" My heart was racing. All of a sudden I was too self conscious of my state; I had not taken a bath since day one, my clothes were dirty and ragged…I could not conceive sitting at her luxurious table like that "You can say no if you don't want to…I won't be mad this time, I promise" She took my silence the wrong way

"No, it's not that…" I was embarrassed to explain my real reason

"Then…what is it?" But I could not resist her intense gaze when she asked, so I had to tell her the truth

"I…I don't think I'm… _presentable_ to share the table with you, my lady" I ducked my head to avoid her gaze

"Is that all?" I just nodded. She got up and offered me her hand, to help me get on my feet "Come on…I don't care about that" she smiled sincerely and I found myself out of arguments to deny her gesture, so I accepted her hand. She led me to the table and offered me a chair, to her left…Only then I noticed with suspicion that the table was already set for two… _Had she planned everything?_ Probably yes, but at that moment I did not care; I had no reason to doubt her intentions since her apology had seemed genuine…

"Would you like some wine?" she offered while taking her seat

"Yes, please" I accepted shyly; a little wine would help me to calm down. She poured some wine in my glass, and then, without asking, began to serve me all kinds of food on my plate; a big piece of meat, roast potatoes, small caramelized onions, peas and baby carrots...I did not stop her because with the hunger I had, I would surely have to repeat…I did not start eating until she served herself; when she did she looked at me and raised her glass to toast. I had to grab my cup with both hands, fearing it would slip with the bandages. I took a generous sip of wine, letting it warm my insides. A murmur of delight escaped from my lips inadvertently "Mmmmm"

"Is it good?"

"Yes…It's delicious…" I had never tasted such a delectable wine. She surely had a very refined taste

"I'm glad…you can drink all the wine you want…"

"I don't think that's a good idea" Normally at home, I was only allowed to drink one or two glasses; _a lady should not let alcohol to cloud her judgment_ that's what my mother always used to say…

"Why not?" she was puzzled

"I'm not used to drink so much wine and besides..." I hesitated "I probably have to get up very early…" _As always, to work until my back is broken_ I avoided saying

"Absolutely not!" She refuted "You'll have to get some rest if you want your hands to heal, so don't think about that and enjoy your dinner…" she motivated me to eat, and I did not need to be told twice…I picked the cutlery awkwardly with my bandaged hands; I tried to cut the meat but it was impossible to achieve. She noticed my attempt and took away my plate…

"Let me help you…" she cut the meat with dexterity and returned the plate to me "there you go" I laughed lightly because I felt like a little girl who did not know how to handle the silverware properly. She looked at me mystified…making me feel self conscious under her intense stare

"Thank you" I expressed with great gratitude, for everything she had done for me that night

"Eat!" She insisted again for me to start eating

We began to eat in silence. I really did not know what we could talk about, so I tried to focus on the food, to avoid the fact that she had all her attention on me. Too soon, my plate was empty…

"I hope you left room for dessert" She was smiling at me in a way that stirred something deep inside of me

"I guess I was very hungry" I recognized embarrassed

"You have not been eating properly" Her face was now shadowed with sadness; _How ephemeral her smiles seem to be_ I thought "It won't happen again. Your situation will change, starting now…I'll assign you a decent room, you'll even have a bathtub, and from now on you can eat in the main dining room…I don't know what else to do to make it up for you…" She said full with guilt "Ask me for anything you want… _that_ I owe you" I thought of her words

"I guess you can't give me back my freedom…" I knew it was not going to be possible, but it was worth a try

"No…I'm sorry" she smiled sadly

"There's something…" I began unsure and she nodded attentively to my words "I didn't have the chance to say goodbye to my family as you know…" she frowned, which made me think that she was going to refuse my request, so I hurried to tell her "I just want to let them know that I'm fine…to tell them that I love them…it'll be only one letter" talking about my family caused a lump in my throat that kept me from talking, I could hardly sigh a slight _Please_ at the end

"Alright…" She agreed on it "You can write them all the letters you want...so you can tell them how you are as often as possible…" I could not believe her words…she gave me more than I expected, I had just asked for a farewell letter. I found myself without words to let her know how grateful I was. I got up from the table and walked to her side and dropped on my knees

"Thank you so much" I smiled widely with tears of joy running down my cheeks

"Don't…No…" she turned on her chair and grabbed me by my arms "Do not kneel before me…" she said, while helping me on my feet, and standing up with me. We were standing face to face "Never do that again" She commanded with tenderness "Do you hear me?" she insisted and I only nodded while wiping the tears on my cheeks. We looked into each other's eyes for a moment before "Are you still hungry? There's a lot of food on the table" For some reason I was reluctant for this night to be over, but I was actually very full and tired

"I think I've eaten more than I can hold…" I joked lightly producing in her some disappointment

"If you say so…I guess I'm going to let you get some rest then" Neither of us seemed ready to move "Let me walk you to your room" _Room, not cell_...

"It is not necessary…" I did not want to bother her

"But I insist…besides, I'll have to show you the way" she ended the conversation and began to walk "Don't forget the ointment for your hands" she took it and opened the door for me. Once in the hall we found Sylvie

"What are you doing here?" Lady Vause asked her cautiously

"I stayed close in case you needed anything My Lady" her tone was very sweet and very different than when she spoke to me…what a witch

"I did not ask such thing…but since you are here, clean the table, would you?" Lady Vause commanded and continued walking. I lock my eyes with Sylvie's, and rejoiced on her sullenness

We walked side by side, surrounded by an awkward silence, only my footsteps could be heard, because hers seemed nonexistent. That night she had shown me a side that I could never imagine existed in her, still, I was intimidated by her proximity, to the point of not knowing what to say. She was the one to speak while we went down the stairs I had polished that morning…

"Don't worry about Sylvie…" Probably she also noticed Sylvie's face of hatred towards me "She will not give you more orders"

"Then…" she had confused me "What are my duties supposed to be from now on?" Sylvie was the housekeeper, the highest rank within the servitude

"I will think about it…for now, you must rest and recover" We did not exchange more words until we reached my new room. She took a lamp that hung from the hall and opened the door for me… "Here you are…I hope you feel comfortable here…"

The place was not very big, but it was a huge improvement from my previous cell. It was generously lit by candles scattered throughout the room. I walked in watching every detail; it had a real bed with a wooden headboard, a dresser with a mirror, a small fireplace and behind a wooden panel room divider, there was even a small bathtub. I was in heaven compared to that horrible cell

"Well…?" she asked after a moment of silence, wanting to know my opinion

"I…I'm out of words…" I sincerely said and she smiled fondly at me

"Would you like to take a bath? I can order someone to bring hot water immediately" Although exhausted, the idea of a bath was very tempting

"I would love to…" A bath was the thing I wanted the most, even more than sleeping…

"Alright then…I'll send someone with the water. There are clean clothes in the drawers, and if you need anything else, talk to Red, she'll know what to do…" she lingered at the door hesitantly "Have a goodnight" she was about to leave but I stopped her

"Wait…" her face was expectant. I walked closer to her, until I could feel the change of temperature in the air and register her scent…I looked openly into her eyes, this time without any fear "Thank you…my lady" I wanted to show her how grateful I was, and that I was still more than willing to fulfill my part of the deal, that I could be loyal and obedient just as we had agreed as long as I was treated humanely…

"Don't say it anymore…let's just start all over again" It was a great idea

"I can definitely do that…" I expressed with a smile and I could see her eyes shine

"Sweet dreams" it was the last thing she uttered before timidly stroking my cheek with her thumb, after which she left, leaving me with a warm sensation spreading all over my body from the cold trail she draw on my face

 _What had just happened? Am I dreaming?_ I asked to myself as I reviewed the latest developments. The more I thought about it, the less credible it seemed to me. What had motivated her to change her position so radically? I wanted to decipher her. Nicky's words echoed in my mind… _She's not that bad…you just need time to figure her out…_ At that time I was more than reluctant to do so, but then, after the recent events, It was a promising idea, and I thought that, from then on, _that_ could be a purpose to make my existence in that place more bearable…


	11. Chapter 11

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm early again! Lately I´ve found myself quite inspired XD (hope not to jinx it) I am extremely happy with the reviews I had received with the previous chapter. They are starting to get along...Although it is my duty to warn you, you should expect some ups and downs, because it's Vausemann after all...I hope the final result pleases you all. Without further delay, here's a new chapter...

P.S.: Stay tuned on Friday/Saturday, I hope to upload a new chapter this weekend ;)

* * *

 **CHAPTER XI (Alex POV)**

I was out of reasons to spend more time with her. I wanted to prolong that night as much as possible, but her tired face made me think otherwise, deciding that I should give her time to rest.

"Sweet dreams" I wished her and thoughtlessly my hand moved on its own to brush her cheek with my thumb _What are you doing?_ I asked to myself astonished, without being able to understand that gesture. I withdraw my hand immediately and left. I did not disappear; instead I decided to walk back to my room after going to the kitchen to tell Red to order someone to bring water to her room for her bath. The heat of her face lingered for some seconds on my thumb, too fast it faded in the air, making me miss it at once. Sylvie was waiting for me in my room. Her presence seemed inadequate next to my recent companion, whose absence claimed every space…

"What are you still doing in here?" I asked annoyed

"I wanted to make sure you do not need anything else"

"No, I don't…you can leave…" I dismissed her

"Yes my lady" she said although she did not seem willing to leave

"And for your information…" I said before she left "Piper is no longer under your orders" Of course, she did not like the news at all, so I let her know with my eyes that I was not going to tolerate any reply regarding that subject "Goodnight"

"Goodnight my lady" I did not like the tone of her words, but I let her go

With so many hours ahead and alone, I could not stop her from filling every space of my mind. I reviewed every moment of the night, as if I wanted to memorize every instant that we shared together.

In no way my original intention was to apologize directly as I did, simply because my nature was opposed to that kind of humiliation, and the last time I had tried to swallow my pride for her, everything went so wrong. I initially had intended to propose her an impossible task to carry out, so maybe she would ask for clemency and I would show her that I could be a merciful creature, the thing is that I did not take into account how stubborn she could be. I tried several times to take her to my territory; nevertheless, she did not fall for it. She was starting to get me mad, I had never met someone so immovable, but when she accepted the challenge to amend my clothes, I thought that maybe she was completely out of her mind… _Are you stupid? Don't do it!_ I wanted to yell at her, considering for a second to let her do it, maybe she could finally learn something and show some docility but I could not let her go, I could not let her hurt herself to prove me wrong...so I forced her to show me her hands, and that's when I lost whatever game we were dangerously playing. When I saw her injured hands, I did not care about my pride, I did not care about anything; I just wanted her forgiveness because those injuries were a direct result of my senseless arrogance and superciliousness.

During dinner, I just watched her, memorizing each gesture and every movement. Sometimes I had to forced myself to look away; I did not want her to feel uncomfortable under my scrupulous gaze. We did not share many words; I mainly wanted to let her eat because she was famished _How could I allow this to happen?_ I reprimanded myself every second for it. It literally hurt me to see her in those conditions and I desperately wished for her pain to become mine. I had never regretted any of my acts as I did in that moment.

I remembered with great fixation every smile sketched on her lips; the first time I heard her laugh I had been stunned, although I had not understood very well what exactly had amused her; it happened when I realized how clumsy she was with her bandaged hands and decided to help her to cut her meat. I wanted to hear that bashful laughter again and again _…there are so many hours left for dawn_ I pondered…It was weird, I was a nocturnal creature; I enjoyed solitude and the absolute silence that could only be reached in the wee hours of the night, but lately I was overwhelmed by the strange need that it would dawn soon _You can not fool yourself anymore, you are only wishing for dawn with the stupid intention of seeing her…_ So what if that's what I want?...I started an internal debate, because honestly, on second thought, I could not find a single reason to have to deny it anymore. I wanted a million more nights like that one, a million nights to get to know her, a million nights to make her laugh…a million nights… _That's the problem, we could not have a million nights_ Well, I could, but she did not, I realized with melancholy. Staying away from that kind of complications was the prudent thing to do; I had already accepted that same destiny with Nicky; from the beginning I avoided creating a bond with her, knowing that at some point, I would have to continue without her. However, she won me over with the pass of time, but there was no day when I did not think about how my life would be after her. _What am I supposed to do about her?_ That question gave me no respite and dawn finally came without answers…

I felt the urge to go to see her, to ask her how she had spent the night, to help her with her hands…but I held back and forced myself to stay in the room. Thankfully, that morning, Nicky was the first person to come to my room…she entered without knocking on the door as was customary

"Good morning" She showed her usual silly smile that let exposed all her teeth. I took it for granted that she was already aware of the new situation, but I decided to behave apathetically

"Good morning" I said in a bored tone "…I think it's the first time that you wake up before breakfast" I added mordantly

"Well, I guess miracles do happen…" her smile grew wider "Speaking of miracles…I have just been in the kitchen and guess who I saw…" It was going to be a really hard thing to do to show myself indifferent when all I wanted to do was to ask Nicky everything about her

"No one comes to my mind…" I said after pretending to think several seconds about it

"Honestly…are you really going to go down that path? _Pretending_ you don't care about her…"

"I'm not pretending Nicky…I really don't care about her" It even upset me to lie about it

"So you just softened overnight?" She asked with incredulity

"I thought a lot about the things you said to me yesterday and, I admit it…you were right" Her face lit up as never before "I was cruel and unfair to her…I just wanted to end this nonsense before it got too far" her smile vanished to be replaced with disappointment

"That's all you are going to admit then?"

"I don't know what else you want me to say" I said, although I knew exactly what she was expecting me to say

"Fine…if you think that by refusing to say the truth it will stop being true, be my guess…but you are not fooling anyone, not even yourself"

"Nicky…for the hundredth time…" I was going to deny her assumptions but Sylvie interrupted us bringing my breakfast…

"I'm sorry my lady, I didn't know you were busy…can I come in?" As always, her voice was sweet, but her face showed nothing but discontent

"Yes of course…" She walked to place the tray on my usual spot "…please bring more food, Nicky is going to have breakfast with me this morning" I ordered her while I sat down

"Actually I already ate" Nicky chimed in

"If that's so…that'll be all Sylvie…" I dismissed her

"As you wish my lady" Before leaving the room, she casted a cold glance at Nicky…

"Besides…I would not eat anything she brings me…who knows what things she would throw at my food" Nicky denoted with disgust

"Don't be ridiculous…she wouldn't dare" I tried in vain to sound convincing

"Yeah right…" She added, not believing my words… "So…What are you going to do with Piper now?" she started saying while taking a seat at the table

"I don't know…but I will not leave her under Sylvie's care anymore…if you have any idea, I'm all ears…" She seemed to meditate deeply about it

"Why don't you ask her to be your maid?" _My maid?!_ Asking Nicky was a big mistake

I made a sound of exasperation "…I should have known that your ideas would be terrible"

"Why not?" she demanded to know

"Because…It'd be weird after our… _issues_ ….besides, what am I supposed to do with Sylvie?"

"If you ask me…to hell with Sylvie!" she exclaimed unapologetic making me smile

"I can't do that Nicky, I have no reason to discard her like that…like it or not, she's very good at her job, she knows how to do everything and keeps the place well managed…and she has shown her loyalty like no one else…"

"Yeah yeah, sure she has demonstrated her loyalty more than once in your bed" I glanced at her for her comment "Wouldn't you like the princess to show you her loyalty with the same impetuosity?" She wiggled her eyebrows comically

"You are a deviant and disgusting person…" She guffawed. It was impossible to have an adult conversation with her

"Have you really never thought about it?" I could not deny it, because it had crossed my mind a couple of times while being with Sylvie. I could not help but think about what it would be like to kiss her instead of Sylvie…

"You need to grow up…" It's all I could say "Nicky please, be serious about this…give me some idea of something she can do easily and without effort…"

"I don't know Alex…the truth is that the girl has shown that she is capable of anything…don't underestimate her"

"Oh…trust me, I'm not underestimating her" I said with certain proud "I just don't want her in charge of demeaning jobs anymore…I'll think about it later, for now she should rest until she recovers"

"Well yes, she's a little emaciated" There was no malice in the way she said it, with no intentions to throw it at my face, but those words made me feel infinitely guilty

"I think I'll never forgive myself for that" she registered my mood and tried to take her words back

"I'm sorry Alex, I didn't mean to blame you…"

"You should…"

"But you apologized and she forgave you" She tried to cheer me up with those words

"Then she told you what happened last night…" I assumed they had talked about it during breakfast

"She did…" again I felt that strange sensation… _jealousy?_ …because Nicky was free to see her as many times as she wanted while I had to keep some distance from her "You should have seen her this morning…" she left the words in the air, clearly on purpose

"What happened this morning?" Curiosity took over me

"She seemed very well rested…I would even venture to say that she looked happy…"

"Did she say something about me?"

"Ohhhh…She said _many_ things about you…" Her tone aroused my interest only more

"Bad things? Good things?" I pressed her to go on…Why was she being so cryptic about it?

"If you don't care about her, then why are you so interested in knowing her opinion about you?" She flashed a knowing smile arching an eyebrow…I was speechless... "Just what I thought…" She got up from the table at tapped her fingers against the wooden surface rhythmically "Enjoy your breakfast…I gotta go!" and she walked out of my room leaving me stupefied with her question. I had lost all interest in my breakfast, lying in front of me untouched. After her, Sylvie came in…

"Everything alright?" She asked

"You are not intending to leave me alone today, right?" I began to get tired by her insistence

"Why are you evading me lately?" she walked closer to me

"I'm not evading you…" I reassured her in a bored tone…Her face was congested with hatred

"Is it because of her?" _Her..._ she did not need to clarify who she was referring to…

"She has nothing to do with it…" I felt the urge to protect her, to leave her aside. I got up and walked to the window, turning my back to her "Lately you just seem too needy begging for my affection, and your insistence is starting to annoy me" I blurted out and turned around to face her "I thought I had left it more than clear the first time... _This_ was never going to turn into...whatever you want to call it...because I could never want you..."

"That's the thing isn't it? Now you want _her_ …" It was not a question

"It is not like that, and ultimately, I don't owe you any explanation" It bothered me to explain myself to her

"Then all the years that I have served you mean nothing to you?" She was trying to become the victim

"You have proved to be loyal and helpful in every way…and I want you to continue your work as my housekeeper, but _this…_ " I signaled the space between us… "It has to stop…"

"Because you found a new whore!" she spat the words

"She's not a whore! She's too decent for such things" It was a low blow, but something boiled in me at her offensive reference

"What do you mean? That I am indecent enough to be your whore?"

"I never asked you to do it…I never forced you into something you did not want to do" It was not like me. Many girls had passed through my bed, and each one of them did it more than gladly, only waiting to be rewarded with my expert attentions

"But you made me think that you cared about me…I…I love you…" She declared tepidly

"Ohhh...don't you dare to play that card with me…" Her words meant nothing to me, simply because I couldn't believe in them… "I know you too well and I have seen into your soul…you do not love anyone but yourself Sylvie" Her heart was dark and evil, full of bitterness, envy and selfishness. I was not who to judge, because I myself was all those things and worse…but to believe that she loved me, it was simply impossible… "Even if it were so, you must be very stupid because you know that I could never feel the same for you…I don't have a heart, remember?" the wrath did not allow her to reply so I went on speaking "I don't want you like that anymore, period!...You will remain in charge of your current responsibilities as a housekeeper…and nothing else" I sentenced, and I did not like her dark face at all "You don't want to hear the alternative, trust me" I felt obliged to threaten her without slyness "Are we clear?" I pressed her, and after some seconds she reluctantly accepted her new role

"Yes…my lady" she hissed every word

"You better" I thought it was necessary to strengthen my tone, just in case. I was not worried for myself, but I was concerned for a specific person… "Now leave me alone" She bowed frigidly and left…

I felt an immediate relief when I watched her leave, having solved our situation; although I didn't know why I perceived that she was going to continue to give me headaches, but until then, I was not going to think about it. Once the bad sensation she left behind vanished, my mind brought me soothing imagery… _How is she doing?_ I could go and find out for myself _Arrrgghh…_ I've been debating a lot with myself lately. I decided at least to wait till night to do so; I did not want to seem too desperate to see her, mostly because I did not want to give Nicky more reasons to mess with me. I would think of some lame excuse to go to the kitchen later, and if I was lucky I would run into her. I went to the library, hoping to kill a few hours plotting my plan…After a while I heard the door leading to the hallway open shyly…It occurred to me that it could only be Sylvie

"What the hell do you want now!?" I got up hastily from the chair turning around to face her, but it was not Sylvie. I found blue eyes wide open in shock and flushed cheeks

"I'm sorry!" She hurriedly said "I did not know you were in here…I'm so sorry" She apologized in a nervous voice once more and closed the door. I ran after her; I opened the door and watched her walking away down the hallway with a hurried pace

"Wait!" I got to stop her taking her by the arm, causing her to turn around. Her face showed certain fear and I did not like being the cause of it so I tried to deliver my next words as gently as possible "I'm sorry if I frightened you…I thought you were another person" she seemed to calm down immediately

"Nevertheless…" she delivered after several seconds "I should have knocked on the door first..." I could still feel certain tremor in her tone

"What were you looking for in the library anyway?" It was not an inquisitive question, I just asked with great curiosity wondering why she would want to come in when I was not in there…

"I needed paper, ink and a quill…" she explained uneasy "Nicky told me I could get those in the library…I did not want to disturb you, she said you would not be in there at these hours…" she justified her actions hastily with apology

"It's alright…" I calmed her down...I knew perfectly that this could have been Nicky's idea to induce an encounter. Deep down I was grateful to her…

"I can come back later" she stated troubled

"But you are already here...come on…" I invited her to follow me and started to walk towards the door, leaving her behind. I could hear her uncertain steps following me after a few seconds. I left the door open as a silent invitation and approached the big desk looking for what she needed… "Are you going to write the letter to your family?" I asked while turning around because I assumed that was her purpose, but she was absorbed looking around…

"Pardon?" She realized that I had told her something

"I asked you…if you are going to write to your family?" I repeated the question

"Oh! Yes" she responded as if she had forgotten about it "I'm sorry…I was astounded by this place" She made a motion with her arms inviting me to look around…her smile could brighten the whole library

"Do you like it?" I asked in disbelief...how could she possibly like that lugubrious place?

"Like it?" she asked slightly raising her voice "I've never seen anything like this before" I did not understand her sentiment, the bookstore could impress only by its size; It was an old place, as darkness itself, full of dusty books...but her reaction seemed as if it were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life "Look how many books!" She exclaimed as if I had not noticed it already, making me smile

"I have to assume that you are an avid reader then…" I felt closer to her knowing that little detail about her, and I wanted to dig deeper

"Not as much as I would have liked though…" her joy looked to fade away in an instant and I immediately regretted to bring up what appeared to be a sad memory for her

"Why? You didn't have a library in your home?" I still wanted to know the reason of her sudden subsidence

"No…is not that" she smiled lightly "We have a great library, not as big as this one of course" She brought out "but…my mother would not let me read almost any book…"

"What? Why?" I asked shocked

"Well…she thinks that a _lady_ does not need to fill her head with nonsense because books cannot teach you how to be a good wife…" I listened in horror to her words

"That's…abhorrent!" I said absolutely appalled causing in her a melodious laugh whose notes I stored greedily in my mind

"I know!" she agreed with me

"Well…I'll tell you what…You can take any book you want at any time" I offered leaving her wide mouthed

"Are you…are you serious?" She asked me with great significance

"I'm always serious" The corner of her lips rose sweetly preceding the most beautiful smile I had seen so far in my entire life

"I don't…I don't know what to say" she said unable to hide her teeth behind her lips

"Then don't say anything" In her happy face I could see how grateful she was and that was more than enough for me "Would you like to look around?" I suggested and she gladly accepted nodding her head with excitement and her eyes more open than normal. She approached timidly to the nearest shelf, looking at me sideways as if asking for permission "Go on" I encouraged her to rummage freely through the titles. I noticed her bandaged hands and despised myself for not asking her before "How are your hands?" She stopped her movements and turned her head towards me…

"Improving every minute" Her lips formed the sweetest of smiles leaving me awestruck

"That makes me very happy..." I said with a bittersweet tone, without foregetting that it had been my fault "And how did you spend the night?"

"I slept like a log after taking a bath" she laughed softly "There are so many that I would not know where to start" she resumed her search through the shelves

I watched her carefully as she kept her gaze occupied with the books, with her back to me. I felt a force pulling me towards her. I got carried away like a drifting boat and got so close to her that I could feel the warmth of her body against my front, through our clothes, shaking every fiber in my body. She sensed my closeness and stopped her movements, she started trembling like a leaf about to fall off…I took a breath of air on an irresistible impulse to inhale the essence from her hair, my nose brushing ever so slightly her wavy golden strands. Her vanilla fragrance flooded my lungs and splattered my senses, intoxicating me...How much I wanted her in that very moment; delicious thoughts clouded my mind...me, ripping off her clothes unceremoniously, my lips and tongue touring her exposed neck and the soft curve of her shoulders with my hands marauding the front of her body with the sole purpose to reach her small breasts from behind and tease her peaky nipples with the palm of my hands…I exhaled heavily at the perspective, she was just right there at my mercy; but thankfully some sense came to my mind…I closed my eyes tightly and clenched my jaw… _You have to stop, you'll freak her out_ I told myself. Once recomposed, I reached with my left hand for a book that stood to her left, right above her head…

"This one…" I said very close to her ear "I think this one will please you" I ended up saying pulling the book off the shelf. She slowly turned around to face me and I handed her the book. She took it with shaking hands and pressed it against her chest.

"Thank you" she gasped the words with a slightly reddened face, still not daring to move, her eyes filled with fear _Well done...you frightened her_. I decided to give her some space and drew away from her returning to the desk, clearing my throat before speaking

"Here you have…the things you were looking for…" I came back to her, handing her the items that she arranged to take on both hands along with the book. Then, I went to the door and invited her to leave the room without words by holding it open for her. Before leaving she gave me a hesitant look and an introverted bow

"By your leave my lady" She left the room and I closed the door behind her, leaning my forehead against the door, feeling real animosity towards myself for having ruined that moment making her unmistakably uncomfortable.

What the hell was I thinking? What would have happened if I had not come to my senses? No doubt I would have frightened her to death… _She's too decent for such things_ ; the same words I had told Sylvie earlier bounced in my mind and a great sense of desolation seized me because, those illusions I had just imagined could never happen; surely she would be horrified if she only knew the things that went through my mind… _You will have to control yourself Alex…_ I turned around to face the growing emptiness of the big room that seemed darkened a couple of shades in her absence. I wandered around watching the shelves thinking what books she could like; maybe I could fix our disastrous encounter initiating a talk about books in another occasion, but my eyes fixed on a subtle change; the detail would have gone unnoticed if it were not because I had spent most of my existence in this very room. An empty space on one of the many shelves…I had thousands of books but I knew each one of the copies, and I knew exactly who could have taken _that_ particular book…


	12. Chapter 12

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Helloooo! I don't know what to say about this chapter, it just came out like this...I needed some lines to expose some things that may help to lay out events that will occur in later chapters. I promise next chapter will contain more interaction between Alex and Piper...it's a pinky promise! Your messages are very important for me and for the development of the story, even if they are to say things that you did not like or things that you would like to see in the future or wathever you want to say! XD Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy! ;)

* * *

 **CHAPTER XII (Piper POV)**

I went straight to my room feeling lightheaded. I placed the utensils to write my letter on the desk and went to take a sit at the edge of the bed with the book held against my chest remembering what had just happened…When I sensed her cold body pressed against my back I came to a halt, unable to move, although my body shuddered at his own will; I could not breathe, I could not think…I was only aware of how fast my heart was racing causing my ears to ring. Endless seconds passed and I heard her exhaling with such intensity that it almost sounded as a low growl…her icy breath caressing my nape causing me goose bumps

"This one" her voice so close to my ear had caused a pang in the lower part of my abdomen. My mind tried unsuccessfully to understand the foreign feeling that I thought I had never felt before. _Hunger…_ was the first word that came to my mind; a sensation of emptiness, but deeper and on the contrary, nothing unpleasant "I think this one will please you" Just thinking about our exchange made my face warm and my stomach flutter with a thousand butterflies. After handing me the book, she immediately distanced herself from me and began to behave impersonally, leaving me in a state of severe bafflement _What just happened?_ I thought _Did I do something wrong?_ I would never know…

"Where have you been?" Nicky's voice startled me…I felt my face burn instantly, as if I had been caught doing something wrong

"Nicky!...I'm sorry I…" I had completely forgotten that she was waiting for me in the kitchen

"Everything alright?" She asked narrowing her eyes aware of my edgy state

"Yes" My statement was not convincing "Lady Vause was in the library and…" she did not let me finish

"What did she do this time?" She asked with annoyance "Because if she did something wrong I swear I'll kick her ass"

"No! she did nothing _wrong_ …" _I think_ … Had _that_ been _wrong_?

"Then why are you acting weird?" Her eyes were filled with suspicion

"I'm not acting weird…I just felt tired that's all…and decided to sit a moment"

"What is that book?" She asked suspicious

"She let me borrow it"

"Did she give you permission to come to the market?" _Arghh the market!_ I had totally forgotten about it. Just before my _encounter_ with her, Nicky and Red had been talking about it. They needed to go to stock up on supplies. For that, they had to leave the confines of the Shadow Lands and get to the nearest village. I brought up the subject of my letter and whether it was possible to send it in there. Nicky told me to go to the library to find paper and quills to write the letter. I thought I was forbidden to go to the north wing, but she assured me that it was no longer the case and that I was free to wander all over the castle. I was still reticent to go to the library feeling some dread in case I ran into her _…"You don't have to fear her anymore"_ she told me to relieve my worries _"Besides, I don't think she's in there at these hours…and if you see her, you can ask her permission to come to the market with us"_ That gave me the boldness to go. But with everything that happened, I had completely forgotten about it…

"I forgot about it…" Or rather, _she made me forget about it…_

"Are you serious?" She scolded me "Never mind! I'll ask her later…" she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly

"Thank you!" I smiled at her…

"Whatever…you coming for lunch?" I left the book on the bed and went to the kitchen, where a great banquet awaited us… "Wow...this is more elaborated than usual Red…what's the deal?" Nicky asked

"Piper is the deal…she needs to be pampered" She explained to her

"Red…you don't have to…" I was going to start complaining

"Ohhhh yes I have to…first of all because I want to…and second of all, Lady Alexandra specifically ordered me to fulfill all of your demands" She closed with a tone that did not admit discussion

"Look at you…how fast you've climbed up within the service…" Sylvie's unpleasant voice shattered the light mood in the kitchen "You must have worked really hard on her bed last night to win the favor of Lady Vause…" She said implicity but I did not grasp her insinuations

"Just ignore her sweetheart…" Red told me

"I would not have taken you for a _slut_ …" She continued saying, looking at me with that face that caused great loathing in me…

"Alright…" Nicky got up from her seat "That's enough…I'm not going to let you talk to her like that" she said in a serious tone devoid of her usual tease "If you are going to share the table with us, you better hold your tongue…"

"I won't share your stupid table; I'll eat at peace in my room, far away from the _slut_ " It was the second time she referred to me with that word; I did not know what it meant, but surely, it was not meant as a compliment. She left after taking a tray loaded with food…little by little, the bad sensation passed away…but there was something that was itching in my mind…

"What's a _slut_ …?" I asked really curious and Nicky made a poor effort to hide her laughter

"Nicky!" Red gave her a strictly glance cutting her laugh immediately and turned to me "Don't worry about the things she said to you, they mean nothing coming from her filthy mouth" She said, clearly avoiding answering my question "You better eat before it cools…"

We ate in peace the delicious food of Red. At this rate, I was going to regain my weight faster than I had thought. When we were finished, Nicky accompanied me to my room, to help me avoid certain unwanted person. The word was still engraved in my mind… _Slut._ When we got to my room, I took advantage that we were alone to ask her…

"Nicky…will you tell me what a slut is?" she laughed again "That bad?" I asked her because she could not stop smiling…

"How do I explain this to you?" She seemed to think about it infinitely "Alright…you know…" She did not seem comfortable with the situation "Women have _certain_ attributes… _physical_ attributes…which are very ammm… _appealing_ to men…" After a heavy sigh she continued "Do you know the things a woman and a man do in bed when they are together…" She trailed off

"You mean… _consummate_ the marriage?" I said insecurely and she smiled at my effort

"Yes!…we better call it… _sex_ …" I blushed at that word, of course I knew what it meant "The thing is that…some women exchange _sexual_ favors in bed for money" I was aghast with her words…How could that be possible? She gave me some seconds to process the information and went on "to make it brief…those women are called prostitutes or informally… _Whores or Sluts"_ She seemed satisfied with her explanation

"That's… _horrifying_ …" It's all I could say. I reviewed Sylvie's words… _You must have worked really hard on her bed last night to win the favor of Lady Vause…_ There was still something that did not fit… "But I still don't get it…why would she call me… _that…_? Why would she suggest that I exchanged _that_ kind of _favors_ with Lady Vause? She's…she's a woman"

"Oh boy…" she breathed out a sigh of frustration "…You know what? Sylvie is an idiot and that's probably the most astute insult that she can think of…just forget about it…and you'd better write your letter and I'll ask Alex if you can come with us…deal?" She suggested and left

I spent the whole afternoon absorbed writing the letter. There were so many things I wanted to say that ideas overlapped in my mind…Then I thought that I did not have to write it all of them right then, just the basics, since Lady Vause had told me that I could send as many letters as I wanted, so in the end…I kept it simply. I wanted to let them know that I was safe and sound; they did not have to know about my tortuous first days. After some drafts, I was satisfied by the final one.

That night during dinner Nicky told me that Lady Vause had given me permission to go to the market with them. I was thrilled by the news. The prospect of leaving that place so dark even for a little time was promising. We went to bed early, because the next morning we had a long way to get to the village, even so, I did not find a way to fall asleep. My mind rambled on repeating the events of that day _Why could I not stop thinking about her? And why my heart raced fiercely just thinking about our exchange in the library?_ I turned around several times in bed until I realized that I was not going to be able to sleep that night. I lit a candle and took the book that rested on the nightstand… _I think this one will please you…_ I repeated her words in my head over and over again, feeling a chill along the spine every time, as if I could feel her icy breath in my nape again…I opened the book and got lost in its pages. Nicky stormed into my room, waking me up with a jolt…

"Come on! We must leave soon!" She announced and walked away leaving my door open. _Arggh…_ My mind could not form a thought. I had stayed up most of the night reading; I must have fallen asleep at some point, since the book lay open on my chest…I got up excitedly when I was able to comprehend what was happening, so I got ready to go to breakfast. In the kitchen, Red seemed to have it all prepared. Several containers were scattered on the table, and a couple of baskets with food…

"Good morning sweetheart...Are you ready?" She asked me as she wrapped a scarf around her neck, ready to leave immediately

"But…what about breakfast?" My mind was still clouded

"We will have breakfast on the way!" Nicky responded impatiently "Now, let's go! We are going to be late!" I would not have taken Nicky by a market enthusiast. She handed me a coat hastily "Put it on!"

"Alright…" I said defensively

"It's nothing personal honey" Red mollified me "She's just impatient to see her _beloved_ "

"Ohhh, a love interest…" I responded with camaraderie while I put on my coat "Can I know the name of the person who awakens such attitudes in Nicky?" I asked having fun with Red

"Lorna…" she answered…I thought it was an unusual name for a man

"Could you stop talking nonsense? I have zero feelings for Lorna alright?" she said nonchalantly "Now please…can we go?" She started walking hurriedly and Red looked at me with a knowing smile that made me laugh…

We traveled in a polished wooden wagon pulled by four horses. It was light of load, so the journey got pretty bumpy. The road was not actually a road…it was more like a maze. I could not grasp how Nicky could seem so sure of the way into that mass of dead trees. The forest was the creepiest thing I had ever seen.

"This place is kind of eerie…" I said in a low voice, as if I was afraid to wake up something unwanted. The forest gave the impression of being frozen in time. I did not perceive a single movement, as if was devoid of living things…and silence was disturbing "Does it shelter some form of life?" I could not imagine anything living in it

"Do not be fooled by this forest dear" Red was the one to talk "It has more life than you can think of, mostly terrifying beings, but life at last" I shivered with her words and she laughed softly for it "Don't worry…no creature is stupid enough as to mess with us…we travel in the name of Lady Alexandra" The intention of her words had been to reassure me, but they only caused in me more fear. According to her words, _Lady Vause_ was the one to be afraid of…another shudder ran over me.

"It's good to know…" I said ironically

After much travel, we started leaving behind the dead logs to enter into a vast grey land to finally start to see some terrain covered with green grass and small bushes scattered randomly with small dots of color granted by the typical flowers that grew in the prairies, and began to follow a well indicated dirt road. The sun was beginning to loom and the timid rays that filtered through the clouds that were beginning to disperse touched my face. I breathed deeply overwhelmed by the feeling after so many days without feeling the sun. I took off the woolen coat and rolled up the sleeves of my dress to leave my skin exposed to the warm. I was ecstatic…

"How much is left to arrive to the village?" I asked keenly

"We are almost there…we just have to go down _that_ hill" Nicky signaled me a mount to the south and I armed myself with patience.

When we reached the top of the hill I began to glimpse the small village, with its main road covered with cobblestones and small stone houses arranged on both sides, and at the end of it what appeared to be the main square, crowded and with all kinds of colorful shops… _that_ was undoubtedly the market. We finally entered the village and crossed it until arriving at the market where we stopped the wagon. I jumped out of it like a little girl…

"Alright take it easy…I don't want you to get lost" I gave Nicky a serious look for her joke "First thing first…let's find the letterman"

"I will go to see the vegetables" Red said with enthusiasm; apparently I was not the only one behaving like a little girl…she was lost immediately among the crowd, so Nicky and I went to find the letterman. Once we delivered the letter, we began to walk all over the square.

"Maybe we can go to the flower stand…" Nicky suggested and I loved the idea…A few meters from the colorful stand she came to a halt "Who the hell is that?" she asked annoyed

"Who are you talking about?" I looked among the people for the source of her annoyance

"Look at the flower stand…who the hell is that one so close to Lorna?"

"That's Lorna?" I could see two young people together, sharing laughs and looks of complicity and I understood… "Oh Nicky, I'm so sorry…" I did not know what to say "He must be an idiot" I thought the right thing to do was to dedicate cruel words to the other person

"Well…Look at his face" she said indignantly "He is _obviously_ a moron…"

"Surely you will find another man more valuable than _Lorna_ " I said those words with all my heart but her face showed pure horridness

"A man!?..." I had offended her and I did not know why "What the hell are you talking about? _He_ is not Lorna" she turned me to point my head in the direction of the flower stand by holding it with both hands…"That's Lorna…the young brunette…the girl"

"Ohhhhh" I made a sound of realization, but I was only more confused "Wait…what?" I asked her uncertainly

"I…like…her" She said those three words as if I was mentally unqualified

"But…how is that even possible?!" My voice became acute " _She's_ a woman… _You_ are a woman" I was troubled by the thought

"Yeah, thank you for solving that great mystery…" her sarcasm was becoming something very familiar to me "Yes, she is a woman and so am I…so what?" she retorted casually "Are we not allowed to fall in love with someone of the same gender?" At first I had thought it was something outrageous, but her last words explained it so simply that I had no reason to think it was wrong, because…how could love be wrong? It took me a few moments to think about it

"I…I guess…" I said, although I was still somewhat disturbed by the information

"I do not expect you to understand…the heart wants what it wants, you know?" she said unhappily looking away from me to observe the girl. I did not like seeing her like that…so dull

"Nicky…I'm sorry to have reacted so badly…I _think_ I can understand" She looked at me again with a slightly attentive gesture "I guess the problem is that all my life they've made me believe that a woman could only fall in love with a man and live happily ever married…for a moment I could not understand that there could be other… _options_ " My words made her smile fondly

"Well…thank you for understanding…"

"Sooo…you like her…" It was not a question, more like a statement, as if I wanted to wrap the idea by repeating the words…

"Yes…" she sounded miserable…

"Oh look! He's leaving!" The young man next to Lorna seemed to be walking away "Let's go!" I grabbed her by the arm and forced her to walk but she resisted

"What? No way!" She disentangled herself from my grip

"Nicky…" I said wary "Don't make it hard…" I warned her, she just guffawed

"Hard?!" her tone was incredulous "You could not even force a slug…" She hit right in my pride.

"Watch me…" But she was right…I was not going to be able to force her, so I turned abruptly and began to walk quickly towards the girl…

"Piper! Don't you dare!" If she wanted to stop me, she would have to draw attention towards us…I reached the flower stand without resistance. Lorna welcomed me with a sweet smile and a joyful greeting.

"Oh…hello! What can I do for you?" She offered kindly

"Hi…" I returned the smile "Your beautiful flowers have caught my attention…in particular those yellow roses" I had never seen such a beautiful flower, of abundant petals and robust bearing…

"You have a very sharp eye…those roses are the most exquisite I have" She told me in a low voice, as if it was a secret. I was a big garden aficionado, so I didn't need her to tell me so

"You happen to sell the seeds?" I thought of the dreary castle and the life those flowers could bring to it. Behind the kitchen there were empty planters, maybe I could try something with them…

"Yes I do!" She reached down to look for something under the table and took out a small bag of cloth… "Here you have!"

"Oh…I don't carry any coins…Let me get some to pay you" I realized I had to ask Nicky to buy the seeds…

"Oh no no…don't you worry darling…My treat!" she offered affectionately "If you are happy with the flowers, next time you come to the market, pass by" she winked and I thanked her

"That's really nice of you" She had been so nice that it was hard to remember that she had just broken Nicky's heart

"Don't waste your time with seeds" Nicky was standing by my side all of a sudden "Nothing grows on the Shadow Lands"

"Nicky…" The face of the young brunette light up… "You came…"

"I always do"

"I know but still…I'm always waiting for you…" Lorna admitted shyly

"You are?" Nicky's voice was tinged with hope

"Of course silly…" They stared into each other's eyes and I just stood there watching the whole exchange

"Oh Lorna…this is Piper…" Nicky said as if suddenly remember I was there

"You came together? I don't think I've seen you here before…" She glanced at me with curiosity

"It's the first time I come to the market…I'm actually new in the Shadow Lands…" I explained

"You live together then…" Her smile faded away

"Yes…we do" Although Lorna's words were directed to me, Nicky was the one to speak "We live together" She got closer and encircled my waist with her left arm. I was taken aback by her move, but when I saw Lorna's face twisting with anger I understood…Nicky was trying to make her jealous, so I played the charade and casually I let my right arm hang over her shoulders. I remembered with great affection my friend Polly, we had grown up together; she was the daughter of my father's butler. My mother of course never found our friendship appropriate, but my father allowed it. She was a mischievous girl that unlike me had more freedom to contact the outside world. She had taught me the games of jealousy to provoke Larry, but I honestly did not care about that…but now her lessons could finally be put into practice…

"Look Nicky…" I turned to see her and said her in a mellow tone "The nice girl gave me seeds of those beautiful flowers…"

"That was really nice of her indeed…" She was smart and understood that I was aware of her intentions "Do you want anything else?"

"I would like a rose…" I couldn't say that in a sweeter tone

"Just one?...Nah!...I'll buy you a dozen roses…" She took some coins from a small bag that hung from her belt and spread them on the counter…Lorna took them reluctantly and organized a bouquet by tying a small rope around the stems…

"Be careful with thorns…" She said coldly while handing me the bouquet, but I disregarded her tone

"Thank you so much…No doubt next time I'll stop by to buy you flowers…"

"That'd be great" She smiled widely, but it no longer seemed genuine

"Well…we better get going, we have to help Red" Nicky chimed in "It was really nice seeing you Lorna…" She did not give her time to reply. She pulled me by the waist to turn us around and we started walking away…after walking a few meters she asked me in a low voice "Is she seeing us?" I turned my head to look back discreetly

"Yes…" I said holding a giggle

"Good" She was clearly pleased with the fact and we laughed together "That was amazing by the way…thank you" she sounded surprised by my abilities

We found Red and helped her with the rest of the purchases. We loaded the wagon with the help of some men and began the journey back. I felt tremendously cheerful, and although I would have liked to continue in that place, I was tired and felt the strange need to get _home,_ wondering if _she_ would be there to greet us and thinking with certain melancholy that I had not seen her since yesterday…it seemed so distant.

Once at home, the first thing I did was putting the flowers in water. I had insisted on helping organize the purchase, but Red diminished my intentions immediately, claiming that I should get some rest. I observed the beautiful flowers in my room and considered whether _she_ would like them just like I did…I took the vase resolved to bring her the flowers in gratitude for letting me go to the market and for the book…

I walked steadily up to her room, although my hands did not seem so firm as my steps, and my breathing increased dangerously as I got closer to her door…I pressed the vase against my side with my left arm, leaving the right hand free to knock… _Knock Knock Knock…_ Nobody answered…I went then to the adjoining door of the library…But again, nobody answered. In a daring movement, I opened the door, leaving it slightly ajar

"Lady Vause?" I asked in a trembling voice… _Nothing…_ I opened the door completely and entered. I could hardly see with the scarce light that entered through the windows at those hours of the late afternoon. I looked around, hoping to see her, but she was nowhere to be found. A feeling of disappointment struck me right in the middle of my chest…I decided to leave the flowers on a small table next to a large armchair, where I had found her the day before. Back to the kitchen, I went out to the backyard to plant my seeds. Nicky came out to meet me…

"I told you not to waste time with seeds…nothing grows in this place…"

"Yes, you told me…" I had not forgotten her words "But…has anyone tried?" I asked her with determination

"Try!?...I think you've missed the picture on the way through the forest…even worse…You've missed the most important and obvious thing" she pointed to the sky with her index "Sunlight never reaches the ground…" she smiled victoriously

"Do not underestimate my gardening skills" I retorted annoyed "I bet you that I can make these roses grow beautifully" as usual, I loved turning everything into a challenge, but Nicky did not seem interested

"Whatever you say…" her disinterest only made me more resolute

"I'm telling you…these roses will bloom and you will have to recognize that you were wrong…" I said smugly

"Well…" she pondered about it "I suppose that…in the _remote_ case that you get the flowers to grow, I'll have to admit that you are very skilled at gardening" I smiled, satisfied with her words

She left me alone with my job. I worked with what I could; indeed, the dirt did not seem very fertile, but I still sowed the seeds with dedication in several pots, wishing to bring some color to such a sunless place…


	13. Chapter 13

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hellooooo lovely people...I'm sorry for the delay, I've worked really hard this week and I've been lazy to write XD (as a thank you for your patience, this chapter is a little longer than usual) Hopefully I won't let you waiting so long for the next chapter; I'm sure I'll have a new one ready in less than a week. As always, I have no words to thank you for all your wonderful comments :) Thank you so much! Best regards!

 **CHAPTER XIII (Alex POV)**

I registered every corner of her room, until finally I found what I was looking for…an old book, relatively small of yellowish leaves that seemed about to crack just from a blow, hidden behind the mirror that hung above her dresser. I did not even want to think about what she was planning to do with the information contained in it. I sat down to wait patiently…at some point she would have to come to her room. In the meantime, I distracted myself with the book in question, although I knew its content by heart. It was filled with diverse drawings of a great variety of plants and herbs, each drawing was accompanied by a name and a small description of its medicinal attributes...although some of them were highly poisonous, used for the sole purpose of causing death. I noticed a small fold on the corner of one page and opened the book on it… _Oleander…_ I read, feeling spasms of rage… _Highly poisonous leaves…_ My sight clouded with small red flashes like drops of blood…I did not look up when she entered at that precise moment. I heard her gasp in surprise, dropping a tray that crashed with great noise against the floor…

"It's a very interesting reading…" I closed the book harshly without caring its feeble state "Especially for someone who has never shown not even the slightest interest in books…" I fixed my eyes on hers, and despite being several feet away, I could hear her heart racing "What were you intending to do with it Sylvie?"

"I…I…I can explain my lady" Her words stumbled badly

"For your sake…I hope so…" I barely whispered causing her tremors of fear

"Lately, I have had…frequent headaches…" she began

"No…" I cut her out letting her know that I was not going to buy that story "You would have come to me…besides, why would you hide it?" she had no escape "I'll give you one more chance…what were you intending to do with it?" I muttered trying to contain my brute self

"I have told you the truth my lady…" She had the nerve to stood with her previous justification

"Liar!" I cut the distance in less than a second holding her firmly by her shoulders… " _Oleander?_ " I pushed her against the wall "I'll tell you exactly what I think you were going to do…you were going to poison _her…_ "

"No…" Fear sprang from her eyes

"...you hate her…you feel threatened by her and you want her dead…Am I wrong?" all that was clear in her eyes

"I swear my lady…" she barely got to say in a trembling voice "I would have never dared…" I looked deep into her eyes seeking the truth and placed the palm of my hand on her chest, above her heart…

"Say it again…" She knew she could not lie to me this way, so she did not dare to talk. Nevertheless, I saw that her vicious soul would never rest until she saw her dead "Forget it...you don't even have to say it…" I could not forgive her this time "You will have to pay your offense…"

"No…" she cried "Please…have mercy" she begged between sobs

"Mercy?" I retorted with fury "I already forgave your past crimes…I'm not one to forgive twice" The rule dictated that she should die "Right now I should rip your heart out and throw it into de pit of the lost souls…" I pressed my hand to her chest causing in her a moan of panic "But I will not do such thing…" I hissed dangerously "I will have mercy, just as you requested…but only in the amount you deserve" I vanished taking her to the pigsty where the pigs were bred, on the farms near the stables…

"Luschek!" I screamed out loud…He was the pig breeder, another delinquent of minor crimes who chose to serve me instead of facing the punishment that his kingdom established for thieves like him…He was a foolish man who spent most of his time drunk and sleeping, but he did a good job…

"Lady Vause!" he woke up with a start rising from the dirty ground in an instant "My Lady…to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" He poorly tried to stay as firm as possible, but it was evident that he had been drinking…

"I've got a gift for you…" I shook Sylvie from her arm to bring her closer towards him

"No my lady…please…don't do this…I'm sorry…I'm really sorry" Her words did not reach me

"Well well well…what do we have here…?" He asked looking at her with appreciation "Hello Sylvie" He flashed at her a stupid smile

"Disgusting pig!" I said with contempt…I knew what was going through his mind "Don't you even think I brought her for _that_ " His face immediately showed great disappointment

"You said she was a gift…" He shrugged

"Not _that_ kind of gift…but don't be sad Luschek, you can still use her in some other ways…I know how much you hate shoveling filth all day…" his face rejoiced again; I could not say the same about her…She dropped on her knees clinging bitterly with both hands to my arm

"Please _Alex_ …don't do this…I'll be good I promise…I will not dare to touch her" she cried disconsolately

"Someday perhaps I will forgive you again, when you _really_ feel repentance for your actions…" Was all I said to her and directed again to him "I don't trust her…until she shows to be trustworthy again, chain her feet…" I sentenced and vanished, leaving her loud sobs behind

When I got to my room, I thought I would have to look for a substitute and immediately _she_ came to my mind _…_ But that was going to be extremely difficult; I feared that her constant closeness would again trigger a situation like the one of that morning at the library…She was definitely the most fit for the task, as long as I could control myself around her. I neede to tell Nicky what had just heppened; I looked her up in her room but she was not in there…I pondered aguishly that the next viable option was to look for her in the kitchen, probably her favorite place in the world… _What if she was there too?_ That scenario was quite likely…at that moment the last thing I wanted to do was to see her after having scaring her that morning in the library… _And what do you intend to do? Avoid her forever?_ I had already tried that and I knew it was futile… _Fuck it!_ I said to myself before showing up in the kitchen…I looked around quickly and felt great relief when I noticed she was not there…

"Lady Alexandra!" Red greeted me…

"Hello Red…" I returned the salute wary, attentive in case she appeared… "I was looking for Nicky…Have you seen her?"

"She accompanied Piper to her room…" she explained "There has been an _unpleasant_ encounter with Sylvie, so Nicky just wanted to escort her"

"What happened?" I asked distressed "Is Piper alright?"

"Of course she is! That harpy will have to pass over my corpse to touch a single golden hair from her head…" Relief was immediate "I'm not intending to intrude on your issues my lady but _this_ Sylvie…you may need to rethink the power you've given her…" She dropped the suggestion cautiously; I had always valued her advice.

"Don't worry about her…Sylvie won't be a problem anymore" I appeased her concerns…

"Holly shit!" Red and I turned around startled by Nicky's exclamation "I'm sorry…" She said in a calmer voice, taking a deep breath as if to recompose herself "For a second I thought I had saw a ghost in your kitchen Red" sometimes her jokes would exasperate me greatly

"What a clever joke!" I added sarcastically…

"It's not my fault not being accustomed to seeing you around the kitchen…Why the miracle?"

"Where is Piper?" I asked urgently

"I left her in her room; she is writing the letter for her family…What's going on?"

"There's something you should know…about Sylvie" they both looked at me expectantly "I discovered that she had plans to poison Piper…"

"Arrggghh…that miserable one…I swear I'll kill her" I had to stop her by the arm

"No you won't…" Red was tough, and I knew that if necessary, she could do it, but she was not a killer "Besides…I already dealt with her" Nicky's eyes were wide open

"...did you…" she suggested motioning with her thumb across her throat and hanging her tongue to one side of her mouth

"No I did not…" I denied gravely

"What a disappointment!" Red added mordantly

"But I assure you she's going to pay for it…she'll spend the rest of her days helping Luschek shoveling pig shit…" This caused a big laugh on Nicky…

" _HAHAHAHAHA…_ I had come to think that your wickedness had certain limits…I'm glad to know that I was wrong" Nicky was very pleased by my choice of punishment

"If you ask me…death would have been better…" Red said without hesitation

"I don't want Piper to know about this, surely this will cause her great concern and I don't want to worry her…Are we clear?" I glanced at them; both were terrible at keeping secrets…

"She's going to notice her absence…what if she starts asking questions?" Nicky said

"I'll think of something…for now keep your mouth shut" I almost begged "Nicky…come with me…I need to talk to you about something and this is not the best place" I said looking around to make it clear that I did not want her to appear by surprise…

Once in my room, Nicky asked me guardedly "What is it?"

"I think I made a terrible mistake…" I said carefully

"Don't you even dare to tell me that you regret having punished Sylvie…" I laughed bitterly at her implication

"Oh trust me, If I regret something is to have been so benevolent with her" It was hard to explain the source of my discomfort "It has nothing to do with Sylvie…something happened earlier with…Piper" I began, she paid special attention to my words "She came to the library and I…without thinking…did something that probably freaked her out"

"Ohhhh…that's why she was so edgy!" she made a gesture of realization

"Edgy? Did she say something to you?" I was afraid to confirm that I had scared her

"No, she did not tell me anything, but she was acting weird when I looked for her in her room for lunch"

"Weird how? Like scared?" I wanted her to describe exactly every one of her gestures

"No, no scared…more like…" she thought eternally in one word "Jumpy!" She was very pleased with her descroption... _What the hell did that mean?_ "What did you do to her?" she asked me watchfully

"I don't know what happened" I said because it was the truth "I told her to take a look at the books, she had her back to me and I just…I got impossibly close to her, until I could feel her heat and smell her hair, as if I was drawn to her inevitably" I felt certain embarrassment in telling her what had happened "I had never felt that way Nicky" I confessed, feeling something close to fear, maybe for the first time in my life for my own declaration. Nicky's eyes were cryptic; she was weighing what I had just said

"Then you can't deny it anymore…You really like her…" This time she was not messing with me, she said it as solemn as I had ever seen her. Despite her seriousness, she smiled fondly at me, but I could not smile in the same way. That truth was disastrous…

"It's a disgrace…" My voice had no strength

"Why would you say that?" She asked me troubled

"Because…! She could never feel the same way for me" I replied wound up "She is too good for me"

"Do you really think that of yourself?" She had always thought the best of me "What happened after?" she encouraged me to continue

"She turned around and her eyes…were filled with _fear_ " At least it's what I saw

"Fear? How can you be so sure? What about…thrill?" _Thrill? Could that be it?_

"I don't know…" I said grudgingly, not wanting to enthuse me

"Tomorrow, Red and I are going to the market…" why the change of subject? "I was thinking that maybe she could join us, and I could find some time alone with her to test the ground… _her_ grounds, if you know what I mean…" she wiggled her eyebrows and I panicked

"Don't you even dare to mention any of this Nicky!" I said in a very serious tone "You could only make it worse"

"Alright, calm down!"She held back the laughter at my inflated reaction "You don't need my help anyway…sooner or later, she will be yours" she finished saying with great conviction _She will be mine._ Those words caused my stomach to falter "Still, can she come with us to the village? I know it would make her very happy"

"Then I guess I have no choice but to say yes" as if I could deprive her of something that would make her happy, moreover, after all the terrible things I did to her.

After our conversation Nicky offered to bring me something to eat but I assured her I was not hungry; I just avoided telling her that my stomach was full of other things. The next morning, Red came to my room very early to give me a basket with some snacks to spend the day; she used to do it every time she went to the market, but that time she was the one to bring the basket, which reminded me that I no longer had a maid.

I thought about riding all day; I had to find some way to occupy my mind. From my horse I watched them leave to the market. I decided to follow them closely, without letting them being aware of my presence, granting them some protection, although they did not need it; nobody would have dared to attack a wagon from my castle. At every turn of the road, I tried to capture glimpses of her between the branches of the trees, moving very carefully with my horse, perfectly trained not to make any noise. I could see from the distance her fearful face… _What was going through her mind?_ No doubt, she was afraid of the forest; _But I'm right here…you have nothing to fear;_ I wanted to assure her. As they approached the limits of the Shadow Lands, her face grew in anticipation, and at some point, I could not go on, not being able to leave the boundaries of my lands voluntarily…I saw the wagon getting smaller and smaller as it went further into the horizon and resigned myself with frustration. I waited for their return for hours, just wanting to make sure she was alright. Her face was quite different on the way back. She seemed extremely joyful despite showing some tiredness. In her lap, I observed a bouquet of yellow flowers that matched her golden hair " _Of course she likes flowers"_ I muttered to myself. When we were back in the castle I did not go directly to my room; instead, I decided to do a couple of rounds around the castle, supervising that everything had gone well during my long absence. Then I went straight to the library, my chosen place to gather my thoughts. My nose sensed the remnant of her sweet essence; I looked around hopeful to find her but she was not in there… _Am I going crazy?_ I swear I could smell her in the air, maybe my mind was playing tricks, but then my eyes locked on the vase on the table next to my armchair, and there they were…the yellow flowers I had seen in her lap; they were roses…I observed them in bafflement, trying to discern their meaning. Obviously she had left those roses here and judging by her essence that still lingered in the air, she did it recently…I cursed myself for making those unnecessary rounds, missing the chance to run into her…Slowly, I reached a petal with my index, to gently caress its smooth surface. For an instant I felt its silkiness with the tip of mi finger and inevitably thought about what it would feel like to touch her skin, but after the light touch, the rose withered, and its petals fell dry and brown on the table and the ground…I watched sadly the scene… _That's why nothing grows in the Shadow Lands_ ; flowers were too vulnerable to darkness...I sighed with melancholy and sat down to enjoy the beauty of the remaining roses. I spent all night mesmerized by the play of colors caused by the reflection of the fire of the chimney on the yellow petals. I was not aware of the time until Nicky showed up…apparently it had already dawned…

"Can I come in?" She asked tentatively, although it was unusual; surely she had noticed my pensive state, not wanting to interrupt

"You already know the answer"

"I brought you breakfast…" she smiled and walked over to me holding a tray… "But don't get used to it…this is a onetime thing" she warned me jokingly and smiled broadly when her eyes met the roses by my side "She brought you the flowers…" it was not a question, it was not a statement; her words were reflective

"Did you know anything about this?" Perhaps she had talked to her about me, the opposite of what I had told her

"Why would I?" she said defensively

"So, this was not _your_ idea…" I was suspicious

"No…the flowers were hers, I don't even know when she gave them to you…" She was telling me the truth

"What do you think they mean?" I had never received such gesture; these kinds of situations were completely unknown to me…

"Didn't she tell you when she gave them to you?"

"I did not see her…they were already here when I came in…" I explained

"Uh…" she thought about it for a couple of seconds "In any case, they are a nice detail"

"Yes…I guess" I turned my attention back to the flowers. After a moment she cleared her throat

"You know…this tray is kind of heavy…Are you going to want breakfast or not?" she asked lightly annoyed

"I'm sorry Nicky…Thank you but I'm not hungry" at least it was not the type of hunger that could be appeased with food

"But you haven't touched the food that Red left you yesterday" The food basket remained intact on the table in my room, she must have seen it. I did not say a word… "Are you planning to stay in here all day?"

"I feel like doing nothing" I simply said. She set the tray on the nearest table and approached me determinedly

"Come on!" She grabbed me tightly by my left wrist with both hands trying to pull me

"What are you doing?" she could not get me out of the chair…after several attempts she dropped my arm

"Get your ass out of that chair and let's go out for a ride…" she proposed to me cheerfully "It will do you good…we could even go for a round through the woods, and catch a couple of bad guys…" she suggested cheerfully "So?"

"Fine" I agreed bleakly. Maybe I needed a distraction, although what I most wanted was to see her, but I would have to think about the things I would say to her, not to screw things up again…

We went out the front door once prepared with our riding clothes. I stopped short at the sight and Nicky looked at me puzzled

"What's wrong?" She looked in the same direction I was looking "Ohhh...I see…come on, let's say hi" she grabbed me by the arm and almost had to drag me

She was sitting on a bench, with her coat wrapping her protectively; she was wearing her hair half tied, abundant golden waves running down her shoulders. She was holding my book fervently with both hands, so absorbed in reading that she did not realize our presence until when Nicky greeted her…

"Good morning Piper…" she looked up surprised at her voice. Her blue eyes wide open

"Nicky…My Lady" She stood up straight away, putting the book aside and reaching for my hands…I held them behind my back, not wanting her to kiss them and to lower herself before my presence anymore; so she held hers entangling the fingers in front of her and bowed respectfully "Good morning"

"Good morning…" I replied. We locked our eyes in what appeared and eternal moment; panic gripped me and my mind went blank without knowing what else to say… _Nicky say something!_ Always so talkative and she did not seem willing to get me out of trouble…Finally she heard my silent request because she finally spoke…

"Awww…I forgot my gloves!" _What!?_ I glanced her knowing her intentions, she did not even like wearing gloves

"You don't use gloves" I told her in a warning tone

"Usually I don't but today it's particularly cold…" she was having fun with the situation… _Don't you dare leaving me alone with her…_ I wanted to tell her

"We are going to be late" I lied, carefully articulating every word

"I'll be right back I swear!" She started running away and I couldn't stop her _You little prick…_ I turned around reticently, letting out a heavy sigh of misery that I could not withhold. Fortunately she was not as scarce of words as I was…

"She's kind of a piece of work, isn't she?" She must have misinterpreted my frustration

"I have not been able to inculcate in her the importance of punctuality…" I played along…she laughed sweetly

"You may not have been able to teach her to be punctual, but you have taught her much more valuable things" I looked at her curiously "She told me her story…about how you found her…I think it's a very sweet story…" she explained nervously, as if fearing she had said something inappropriate, I smiled at her to disperse her worries

"On the contrary, I did not find it to be a very sweet story" I said faking seriousness

"Oh…" she was inhibited by my tone, but still went on "Why?…What happened?" She asked slightly concerned, not knowing I was just messing with her

"Nicky happened…" This time my response was humorous; she laughed harmoniously once she understood I was joking

"For a moment I thought you were serious" she said relieved

"But I am!" I retorted as if slightly annoyed and we both laugh a little more. After the laughter I looked at her with great awe "Thank you" She narrowed her eyes "For the flowers" I further explained

"Oh…It was just a small detail…I thought you might like them" she timidly added, her cheeks showing the lightest pinkish shade

"I loved them…" _Loved them? Couldn't you say a more pathetic word?_ There was an awkward silence "I should go…Nicky is taking some time so I better get to the stables to saddle the horses and so on" I lamely excused myself

"Yeah right" Was it disappointment what clouded her face? I wanted to believe it was…"Have a nice day my lady" she wished me

"Thank you…" I began walking away but had to stop when I heard her voice again

"Can I…come with you?" the question was halting "I would like to see the stables"

"Sure…" I agreed dazed. When she caught up with me, I resumed my steps, unconsciously slowing down, allowing me more time with her "How was the market?" I asked in a desperate attempt to make some conversation

"Ohhh…it was wonderful!" she expressed cheerily "There were so many shops, so many people!" She continued speaking with enthusiasm and I was just captivated by her voice, I did not want her to stop talking

"I've been told that it's very colorful…" I added

"You've been told? Have you never been there?" she asked incredulously

"Not actually…I've never had the opportunity"

"Well…then come with us next time" she offered me, as if it were so easy

"I wish I could…" the truth, I had never been interested in going to the market, but if it was with her, it seemed a striking idea "But I can't" that only confused her more

"Why?" she frowned deeply

"I can't leave the Shadow Lands as I please…" I explained

"You can't?" I thought I sensed some sadness in her voice

"Only when someone requests my services" I finished saying and she stopped walking

"That's…" Her face was gloomy

"Boring?" I said wittily trying to lighten up her spirit

"I was going to say _depressing_ but _that_ too…" I was amazed by her sincerity. Her eyes opened widely in shock at her own words "Oh good heavens…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean that" I enjoyed tremendously her distress

"Don't worry…" I smiled like a fool "It's true…it's kind of depressing…but I have gotten used to it" At that exact moment I didn't think of it as a depressing place. She relaxed a little with my words and we resumed our walk "Those are the stables" I indicated when we were almost there. When we entered the place, she immediately fixed her eyes on the great black stallion, which was my mount

"Wow" she exhaled open mouthed "He is a magnificent creature"

"You have a good eye" It got my attention that among so many horses she noticed that one; she must have known about horses

"I learned from my father, he breeds them as a pastime…" She approached the animal with great confidence

"Be careful…" I sternly warned her making her stop "He's very irascible, if I were you, I would not get any closer"

"What's his name?"

"He has no name actually, but Nicky calls him Hex, she hates him" she laughed at that

"Why?" She asked giggling

"To be fair…he hates her too, well, he hates everyone but me…I'm the only one who can approach him…It takes five men to saddle him, so sometimes I prefer to do it myself" She looked at the horse very carefully from a safe distance "I'm going to look for the saddle…keep the distance" I warned her before leaving. When I came back, what I saw left me astonished…how could that be possible? I got closer, ever so slightly not wanting to disturb the moment. She was right in front of him…her right hand caressing his black forelock between his ears and under his jaw with her left one. She pressed her forehead against his snout and spoke tenderly to him…

"Good boy…you are not so daunting are you?" He neighed softly as if answering, making her laugh. I had never seen him so calmed. She noticed my presence to her left and turned her head to meet my eyes and with a beautiful smile plastered on her face she said "I think he likes me…" _Of course he does…as if it were possible not to like you_

"I can see that…" I said with bitterness… _Was I actually jealous of a horse?_

"Son of a bitch…" We both looked behind us…Nicky took the sight very personally "Can you believe him?" she said offended getting closer to the scene

"No, I can't" I said still absorbed. The horse got a little restless when Nicky got closer and Piper tried to appease him

"Oh fuck you!" I laughed wholeheartedly for Nicky's anger and just in case I pulled Piper away from him, avoiding an accident…

"You shouldn't talk to him like that…No wonder he hates you" Piper reproached her and I had to hold a burst of laughter

"He hates me because he's evil…" Nicky retorted

"He seems pretty docile to me, so maybe _you_ are the problem" I observed the exchange amusingly

"Is that so?" Nicky couldn't believe Piper's words. Piper just nodded with petulance "Whatever…" It was Nicky's typical word when she was out of arguments…she turned to me "Are we leaving or what?" she asked slightly annoyed. In that moment I did not want to go anywhere, instead, I would have stay to spend more time with her, but I had already lied saying that we were in a hurry, so she must have assumed we had something to do…I thought about invite her to come with us, but at that moment I preferred to clear my mind and having some time with Nicky to talk about _certain_ issues, _Another time…_ I resigned sadly

"Yeah, let's go" I told Nicky and turned to Piper "Let me walk you back to the castle"

"It's kind of impossible not finding the way back…" she joked "Besides, I don't want to hold you back, you have things to do" _Right…I "had things to do"_

"Well, if you say so" I didn't insist. Nicky and I saddled our mounts with her help, and very soon we were ready to go

"Have a nice ride…" She wished us

"I'll see you later" I added and we parted leaving her at the stables

Nicky was right after all…a ride would help me to clear my mind. The day after, it had been my original purpose, but instead I got sidetracked from it deciding to follow them through the woods. That ride with Nicky had been truly invigorating. My humor could not be lighter, although I thought Piper was the main responsible for that. After several hours of racing, banters and serious talking, we were ready to go back.

The first thing I wanted to do was to find her. I hurried to the main door and perceived that the book was still on the bench where she had left it that morning before coming to the stables with me…I took the book to bring it back to her. Nicky caught up with me at that moment…

"Where's Piper?" She asked me looking at the book

"I don't know…the book was on the bench…right where she left it this morning"

"Uh…that's weird…she could not have forgotten about it…she's very into it" I did not like her words…I had a bad feeling

"Maybe she's having lunch…come on" I took her by the arm and vanished to appear in the kitchen. Red did not even flinch at our unexpected presence…

"Have you seen Piper?" I asked her urgently

"No I haven't, since this morning after breakfast…I've been waiting her for lunch" I felt a vast dread; I could not muster a single word so Nicky was the one to explain...

"Red…we saw her this morning, she was with us at the stables, and then we left…she said she would come back to the castle…" _The stables…_ they were very near to the pigsty…I felt my body freeze, as if it were possible for it to get any colder

"Sylvie…" was all I could say, they both looked at me with terror. I could not even move

"Come on…" Nicky tried to bring me back from my numbness "Alex…let's find Sylvie…" She pressed and I did as she said. Already at the pigsty, I registered the horrible smell in the air and screamed…

"Sylvieeeeee!" She was not the one who showed up… "Luschek!" I grabbed him by his filthy vest… "Where is Sylvie?"

"Wow…What's going on?"

"I don't have time for your stupid questions!" I tightened my grip and shook him roughly…My mind was starting to cloud

"She's…She's…she's at the…backyard…" He stammered repeatedly. I let him go and went to the backyard and saw her…shoveling filth

"My lady…" Her face was hopeful when she first saw me, but then she noticed my altered state. She did not have time to say anything else…My hands closed around her throat…

"Where is she? What have you done to Piper?" She was going to pay painfully for it

"I…don't…know…" She could barely say in a strangled voice…I tightened my hold

"Alex! Let her go!" I was hardly aware of Nicky's screams… "Alex, calm down!" She clung tightly to my arms trying to loosen my grip around Sylvie's neck "She could not do it Alex! Luschek saw her!" Nicky's words made me come to reason. I let go of Sylvie and she fell to the ground. Nicky turned me to see her in the face "Luschek saw her talking to Sylvie, but he said she walked to the stables again…" She explained calmly "Sylvie could not do anything…look at her feet" certainly, she was chained. Sylvie was recovering her breath from the episode; she looked up to see me resentfully…surely I owned her an apology, but I could not help the feeling that she had something to do with it. I would take care of that later, now I had to find _her_ "Let's go to the stables" Nicky suggested

"Piper!" I screamed her name desperately… _where was she?_ "Piper!"

"She's not in here Alex" Nicky said with anguish, she did not like that either. I looked around madly

The sound of hooves approaching us made us turn our heads. A rearing horse arrived; it was one of my horses and it carried a saddle with my coat of arms. It was quite upset…I took the reins to soothe him…

"Hey… _Shhhh_ …it's alright…Where have you been boy?" I had a gut feeling that she had ridden that horse, _but why?_

"Do you think she tried to follow us?" Apparently Nicky thought the same

"I don't know Nicky…but if the horse returned to the castle without her, it can only mean that something happened to her…we need to find her…" I was terrified; I did not want to imagine what could happen to her alone in those woods…

I froze when I heard the murmurs, two voices…they where mentioning my name in that exact moment; I was not being invoked, but they were definitely talking about me...they came from the depths of the forest so I concentrated deeply trying to find the source

"Alex?" Nicky asked wary, she knew I was hearing something…she had not time to ask me again because I disappeared in search of the voices. I thought It could not be coincidence that someone mentioned my name iin the woods just in that precise moment; my instinct told me they surely had something to do with her…


	14. Chapter 14

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello!Just as I said, here's another chapter! I worked fast on this one; I could not leave you with that ending XD. Thank you so much for following this story and for all your amazing words. I'm working on the next couple of chapters, looking forward to share them with you; for the moment, enjoy this one ;)

Best regards!

 **CHAPTER XIV (Piper POV)**

 _I'll see you later…_ something fluttered in my inside before such promising words. I watched them going away with their horses and wished to be able to come with them. Maybe I should have asked her if I could come, but I thought that she had already giving me permission for so many things, so I didn't want to abuse her goodwill; maybe I would ask on another occasion. Once alone, I retraced our conversation; that time words seemed to have flowed so easily…I thought we could spend hours talking. Little by little I felt more at ease around her, and then she seemed less intimidating than the last time we met, although her face was sometimes quite severe and impassive which made me wonder what was she thinking constantly. I heard her laughing several times that morning, and I was fascinated by her wide repertoire of voice tones… _How long would they be out?_ I sighed deeply and resigned to wait…

I considered going for a walk around the castle; after all, I understood that I was free to wander all over it as Nicky had told me. Instead of returning to the front door, I decided to explore further. I saw some farm structures beyond the stables and headed that way, just curious to look around. The place was on higher ground; when I turned around I could see for the first time the grandeur of the castle, a great mass of stone seated on the edge of an abyss with numerous gigantic towers that were scattered at different distances; everything was built with dark gray stone stained with large darker spots caused by the humidity. Despite the constant lack of sunlight, the cloudy skies and the cold, I could not deny that it was a very impressive place. I kept walking towards the farm. By the smell, I suspected that it was a pig farm. How many times had I sneaked into the farms in my old home to watch the piglets feeding on their mother and always messing up my clothes playing with them…I remembered with great melancholy those days, while looking around. The pigsty was not that big, perhaps it housed about one hundred pigs or so…

"What are you doing here?" Her voice took me by surprise; it was the last thing I expected to hear in that place. I turned around slightly startled and took her in…

"Sylvie?" I could not comprehend what she was doing in there…with her clothes blemished from what I could only guess were pig's droppings

"Have you come to make fun of me?" she said with real loathing

"What? Why would I do that? I didn't even know you were in here…" _Why would she say that?_

"Then…you are not aware of what happened?" She asked with a grave tone, her face became curious, and I just shook my head in denial, _What the hell was she talking about?_ "You must leave immediately" She warned me sternly "From this place…from the Shadow Lands"

"What? Why?" The urgency with which she delivered those words scared me

"Because" she grabbed me by my arms "You are her next one" her eyes showed pure dread and my heart pounded fiercely not knowing why

"What are you talking about?" I demanded to know…

"Lady Vause is going to hurt you…" she tightened her hands around my forearms

"Hurt me?" I got free from her grasp

"I know you won't believe my words, after all I've done to you" she began saying firmly "And I'm sorry for having treating you so badly, but you have to know that all I did was to follow her orders, nothing more…" A little voice inside me warned me that maybe she was telling the truth about that last part "If you do not obey, she gets very angry…so I did what I had to do" I remembered the time I rejected her offer to dinner so yes, I've seen her angry

"Sylvie…what are you doing here?" I asked guardedly, sensing that maybe she was just playing with me…

"She just got tired of me…and discarded me like trash" She laughed bitterly "Is what she does when she is interested in a more beautiful and younger woman" By the way she looked at me I knew she meant me…

"Interested?" I repeated

"Are you really so naïve? Do I really have to explain to you what I mean?" she seemed to lose a little her patience. I think she knew by my face that I did not know what she was talking about. She made a noise of exasperation and began to explain "She likes to…to use her servants" She said the words with difficulty "…in terrible ways…" She could not go on and started crying

"What does she do to them?" I pressed her to go on, very scared to hear the answer. Sylvie tried to recover taking a big breath

"She likes to take her servants to bed…" her voice seemed to tell a horror story "…and oblige them to please her in every way…to surrender their bodies for her… _sexual_ pleasure…" Her words triggered some thoughts…Nicky explaining to me that it was possible to be with a woman, Sylvie calling me a _slut_ and insinuating that I had been working in _her_ bed for her favors…I could not muster a single word. I felt my blood freeze and almost forgot how to breathe; Sylvie continued her tale "Sometimes…she likes to…inflict pain to hear you scream…and it hurts a lot…"

"But…that can't be truth…she's being so nice to me…" I refused to believe her words. Was she telling the truth? _But,_ _why would she lie?_ Apparently she had nothing to lose anymore

"Nice? Are you forgetting all the things I put you through because she asked me to?" She stated and planted the seed of doubt "She wants you to think exactly _that_ …she wants to win your trust, to make you feel especial by giving you a nice room and all kind of privileges; when you least expect it, she will ask you to be her housekeeper, and you will be flattered by the offer and then…there will be no turning back…you will have to do whatever she says" I felt like fainting "Do you hear that?" She made silence to let me listen. The wind brought with it the distant cries, those that were clearly heard from the window of my old cell "That's what she does…that's what she likes…to torture, to torment…do not be fooled by her polite gestures and her nice words…she's a monster, she's the embodiment of evil" She was right…how did I let myself be fooled that way? She had done terrible things to me, why should I trust her?

"What do I do?" I asked in a lost voice

"Run away and do not look back…"

"Run? To where" I remembered the maze of dead trees

"Into the woods…the Shadow Lands end at some point…steal a horse from the stables, most of them are accustomed to the forests and know the way out…" she suggested

"Come with me!" I begged her; after what she had told me I had to help her out of there

"I can't…" She pointed to her feet and I observed big chains around her ankles _How far her evil could get?_ I thought really upset for being deceived by her good manners… "Besides, it's too late for me…but not for you"

"What if she gets me?" I imagined what could happen to me if she found out what I was trying to do

"You will have to be really fast" _Ha!_ _Very easy…_ I thought

"And what about our deal? If I escape, she will break our deal and will ruin my kingdom…" I realized with despair that I was trapped…

"She is a prisoner of this land…if you get out of here all you have to do is never invoke her, so she can never go there" She reasoned calmly. That was true…I remembered my recent conversation with her…she had told me that she could not go out willingly from the Shadow Lands, so she could not follow me beyond its limits…

"Who's there?" We both froze and turned our heads to the source of the voice. I saw a man with ragged clothes and shaggy beard…

"Don't worry Luschek, this is Piper, she works for Lady Vause…she just got lost…" Sylvie quickly added nonchalantly, taking me out of troubles

"Thank you Sylvie…" I said lightly but with an intense stare, wanting to thank her for her help. At that moment, I left behind the resentment I felt for her, leaving only a great feeling of compassion "I'm sorry" I whispered sincerely for her own situation

"Don't be sorry...this is better that what she used to do to me...Good luck…" She wished me quietly…

I walked out calmly, not wanting to raise the man's suspicions. When I was out of sight I started to run hastily to the stables. I took a quick look at the available horses, trying to choose the one I thought could be faster…A young light brown was the chosen one. I searched for a saddle and started to saddle him rapidly. When I thought I had done a good job, I climbed up and motioned him to start walking. I covered my head with the hood of my coat. Once on the road, I pressed the sides of the horse with my heels, urging him to run…If it were not because I was escaping, I would have enjoyed the ride. The horse seemed to know where to go; probably he knew the way to the village. I trusted his judgment, because I was not able to remember the road I took with Nicky. Thinking about her made me reconsider what I was doing… _Nicky, Red…_ they were kind to me from the beginning…Both, especially Nicky, had emphasized that Lady Vause, although difficult, had a part that was worth knowing…But on second thought, why would I trust Nicky's words? She would always be on her side, and I could not judge her for it, after all, she had saved her life _That's exactly why you should not trust her either…_ I still could not help feeling guilty for what I was doing. I didn't know how far I was or for how long I had been riding, suddenly I pulled the reins to stop the horse… _What do I do? What should I do?_ I changed several times the direction to which the horse's head was pointing…I started to panic when I found myself alone in that dark forest… _Could she really be able to do such terrible things to me? She had already done terrible things to me, why should I doubt Sylvie's word?_ I had so many doubts…On the other hand, a little part of me pressed me not to continue with that madness, remembering the moments she had be kind to me…I considered returning to the castle, but then, if she knew what I had tried to do, would not that make my situation worse? What would she do to me if she found out that I had tried to escape? _There's no turning back Piper…you have to get out of here_ I no longer knew which direction we had been going…

"Come on boy…take me to the village" I said in a desperate attempt for the horse to understand my commands, but he was starting to grow anxious. I pressed him to continue but he was reluctant to do so "Come on...!" I encouraged him softly but he was alarmed by something that I could not see. I was not able to appease his nerves and got scared…if he was afraid of something, I should too. Suddenly, something triggered the horse to rear frantically and rising on its hinds with great impetus, making me lose my balance… I cried in fear and I felt a sharp pain in my left side and the air left my lungs completely leaving me out of breath… I realized that the world was turned to one side. My hands reached out looking for support and I could feel the cold wet dirt on my fingers, that's when I understood that I was laying on the ground. I took a deep breath trying to come to my senses, but the pain was unbearable. I could see the horse moving away from the scene _No…_ I thought with dread while it got further away from me… "Come back!" I tried to scream but I was out of breath. With great terror I looked around while I tried to stand up; a pang of pain blinded me, getting up was going to be really hard I figured with dread. I crawled the best I could to the hollowed trunk of a tree, reaching for support. I propped up painfully against the tree and decided that I would have to examine the severity of the blow. I slid my right hand under my coat to palpate the ribs on my left side, on which I had fallen. I panicked…the pain was too intense; I could not even fill my lungs properly, which did not help when I was still short of breath… "Help!" I shouted mutely…nobody would listen me… _Do I really want to be heard?_ I remembered Red's words about the things that inhabited those woods and felt lost _I will die then…_ Time passed and I started to feel very cold. I couldn't say if the air around me was getting colder or if it was me that was unable to retain the heat… _Why would I have been so stupid?_ I would have better planned the escape…

A noise snapped me out of my thoughts, the sound of branches being cracked under someone's weight; I turned my head towards the source…"Hello?" I said with a trembling voice… "Who's there?" The second time I tried to sound more secure. Something moved between the trees, I could feel it very close to me…A voice took me completely by surprise…out of nowhere, two men stood in front of me startling me…I froze

"Well well well…look what we have in here…" A man said with a funny tone. I was still very stunned; the man bent over me and pulled my hood back to uncover my face "…what's a beauty like you doing alone in these woods?" He asked in a soft tone, but for some reason I did not like the way he made the words sound. I stared at him not wanting to answer his question. He had short dark hair and a characteristic mustache…he became impatient with my silence. I felt a hand brusquely pulling me from an arm to get me on my feet…I let out a howl of pain

"Be careful Mendez…I think she's hurt" the mustached man stopped his movement

"Are you alright?" The other said while crouching beside his partner, his face seemed to show some real concern "Are you lost?" He inquired but I could not muster a single word so I just nodded "We are lost too if you want to know, we've been trying to escape this hell for days, maybe weeks" he said giving me more confidence, if they were escaping too, maybe they could help me "I'm Coates by the way, and this is Mendez" under no circumstance I was going to let them know my real name, at least not until I was sure I could trust them

"So, where you come from?" The one named Mendez asked but I was still reluctant to say anything "Have mice eaten your tongue?"

"Let her be Mendez…she's scared" The other one said more empathically

"Don't be afraid sweetie…we are not going to hurt you…" I did not like his term of endearment "If you don't tell us where you come from or where you are going to, we won't be able to help you…" They were offering me their help. At that point, what other choice did I have? I decided to answer

"I…I come from the castle…" I decided to tell the truth, but not the whole truth

"The castle?" Coates seemed to be surprised

"And you want to go back…" The man with the mustache assumed

"No!" I cried of fear "I'm escaping from there…" I blurted out without thinking

"So…you are telling us that you escaped from the _Warden_ …" He retorted in a mocking tone laughing lightly

"I did…I'm escaping from it" I said haughtily to be taken seriously. Coates' eyes were wide open and he spoke slowly to his friend

"Maybe we should leave her Mendez…" He suggested to his partner

"What!? No!" I desperately said "If you help me I promise you'll be rewarded…If you get me out of this place I will be indebted to you" Mendez looked at me as if pondering his options. He had a smile that did not reach his somber eyes. That man did not give me confidence but at that moment I had no other options…

"How valuable are you to _the warden_?" He asked with great interest. I was not stupid; I knew perfectly well why he was asking me that question. Surely he was thinking about bringing me back to the castle to gain her favors. I could not let them know my true value

"I mean nothing for her…" I lied "I work on the stables, cleaning horse shit…that's how I got to steal one…I fell from it" I explained

"If she's not of value to _Lady Vause_ …Why are we going to make our lives more difficult by helping her?" Coates said to Mendez… _Shit…_ my lie had the opposite effect…

"Because my friend…if she's not of value to her" He turned his head to one side to look his partner in the eye "At least let's make her of value for us…" He raised his eyebrows suggestively. I guessed he was referring to my earlier proposition, when I had promised them a reward. I looked carefully between their faces, trying to perceive their intentions. The other man's face remained emotionless and did not seem to agree with his proposal…

"I can pay you; I assure you…if you get me out of here" I told him. Maybe I should have told them who I really was, but for the moment I decided to keep that to myself, waiting for the right moment in case they decided to help me…

"I think it's only fair that you pay us…" Mendez said and behind his mustache he half smiled… "It's settled then…you are coming with us" The mustached man circled my waist with his arms helping me on my feet causing a pang of pain

"Arrrghhh" I complained. I couldn't support my weight on my left leg; the whole left side hurt me immensely

"Help me take her idiot" he complained

"Whatever you say…you are the boss" Coates said grudgingly and obeyed. I was held between them, both circling my waist with their arms for support and started walking. The pain was excruciating but I bit my tongue to not give them reasons to leave me behind

"Where are we going?" I asked…

"We have a small shelter near here...so you can rest a little…" Mendez said

"Rest? No!…we have to leave…immediately" I objected…

"Don't worry…it will not take us too long" His tone was jokingly "Right Coates?" His friend did not find it funny though because he did not muster a single word. I suddenly felt a penetrating cold, and a shiver running all over my body…I already knew what would come

"Oh no…" I barely whispered "She's coming…"

"What…who's coming?" Mendez asked alerted…they ignored the cold. But she was not coming, she was already there

"Take your filthy hands off her" I had never heard that voice, yet I knew it belonged to her; it sounded like a couple of octaves below her regular tone and a thousand times more terrifying than ever, but always with a hint of its velvety trait. The three of us spin around clumsily. I saw her right in front of us. She was wearing her cape but did not hide her face with the hood; I would have preferred not to see her pale face that almost seemed to glow like the moon in the midst of so much darkness; I could not say the same of her clear eyes that were dark as coal then. My heart could not go faster. My companions were as immobilized as I was because they did not release me "I said…let her go" she growled deeply. The second time they reacted to her command because I fell to the ground miserably without their support. Her eyes remained fixed on both men, so I crawled trying to escape the wrath I knew it was about to break free at any moment, but the pain did not let me go very far…I could barely sat against a dead trunk

"Please…" Charlie dropped to his knees imploring "Don't hurt us…" fear was clear in his voice "She asked us for help" she fixed her dark eyes on the man at her feet

"How gallant!" her burlesque tone made the hair on my arms bristle "Don't worry…I'll be kind to you…" His face relaxed thinking that he had been forgiven, but he was wrong "You won't feel a thing" she guaranteed. In a swift movement that my eyes could not register, she buried her hand in the chest of the pleading man and took out what appeared to be his heart. His body fell forward inert…and just like that, he was dead. She tossed aside what had been his vital organ and turned her head to lock her eyes on the man with the mustache…he was appalled with the sight of his dead partner "You won't be that lucky…" She smiled dangerously and he got out of his stupor.

He turned hastily around and began running with all his might, trying, in vain, to escape from her. The earth shuddered under my hands, ripples traveling across my body; there was a great burst in the air, like the creaking of wood. She remained still, standing in the same place and without moving a single finger, although the man had already ran away a considerable distance. I did not understand what she intended to do…Was she going to let him escape? The sound of the creaking wood continued and I searched around the source of it. My eyes fixed on something that was crawling on the floor and my mind immediately warned me… _snakes!_ But the next second I realized what they really were…immense roots of various diameters emerging from the earth and inexorably getting closer to the man…they curled around his ankles and made him fall. He tried to break free, flailing madly all over the ground; his screams could surely be heard from hundreds of leagues. The roots pulled him unceremoniously to her feet; her face was apathetic…

"Did you really think you could escape _from me_?" I took her words very personally…although they were directed towards him…

"Pleeeaasseeee…" He cried like a boy "Dooon't…" the roots held him still from all his limbs

"You know what I hate about people like you?" Of course, he couldn't answer in fear "You spend your lives doing terrible things but when you have to pay for your crimes…you unman pathetically" her face showed huge disdain "Last words?"

"I just…wanted to help her…I swear!" he said between cries and spasms of fear

"Wrong words…" she dictated severely and I began to hear the worst noise I could remember.

The sound of the wood mixed with what I assumed were broken bones intermingled with the most horrifying cries of pain. I could not look away from such a gruesome scene. I wanted to close my eyes but nothing in my body seemed to obey my mind. Very slowly the roots began wrapping him painfully; the screams intensified… _Am I also screaming?_ I could not know…but at least he stopped screaming when the roots reached his face and wrapped him to suffocation. At some point, the horror ceased and there was a sepulchral silence. She turned slowly to face me…her gestures had softened infinitely and her eyes were again as clear as crystal…What was she going to do to me? She walked ever so slowly and knelt by my side…

"Hey…" she whispered "Are you alright?" she stroked my cheek lightly with her cold fingers. I flinched at her touch but I was not capable to recoil from her "Shhhh…it's alright" she withdrew her hand, noticing my discomfort "Come here…" She passed her left arm behind my back and lifted my legs with her right hand and stood up easily lifting me with her and cradling me protectively against her chest "I'll take you home" she said and we vanished

She took me to her room and laid me gently on her bed, resting my back against the plentiful pillows that adorned the headboard, _She likes to take her servants to bed, to inflict pain to hear you scream_ Sylvie's words numbed my senses…I was still aghast…in shock and tremendously scared to the bone…she leaned back a little giving me some space; nevertheless, her eyes were invading the most hidden places of my soul, I had to look away from her

"Piper…look at me" she urged me and I obeyed against my will "I know you are a little shocked but I…I need you to tell me…" she grimaced as in pain "…have they…have they hurt you?" she uttered every word with effort. My eyes narrowed in confusion. _Was that what she was thinking? That my current state of shock had been caused by the men who had tried to help me?_ _The man that had died horrendously in her hands because I had tried to escape?_ That made me angry and little by little I began to regain the control over my body

"Those men...they…they just wanted…to help me" I hardly got to say. I felt the hot tears running down my icy cheeks. It had been my fault because, if I had not escaped, those men would not have died.

"What?" She breathed out

"And you killed them" I accused her with contempt

"No…Piper…those were not _men_ ; they were _beasts_ and _trust me_ …" _Trust you? Seriously?_ "…those monsters were not going to help you…" her eyes got darker with her last words

"Monsters?" I replied with disgust because it was ironic that she referred to them as such "If they were monsters…what's left for you?" I spitted angrily at her face; she grimaced as if she had been stabbed.

"Is that what you really think of me?" She asked me after some seconds in silence and waited for my answer without blinking

"It's not what I think…it's what I've seen with my own eyes since I arrived and now at the woods" I said without compassion, I was not going to be manipulated by her afflicted face, remembering Sylvie's words "That's why I was trying to escape…" I confessed thoughtlessly…her face turned to stone and I feared the worst. I flinched in anticipation when she got up from the bed…she turned her back on me and spoke subtly but her voice sounded tense

"You were trying to escape?" That time I did not find my voice to answer "Answer me!" She demanded to know turning again to face me; the roar of her voice ran all over my body

"Yes!" I shouted while tears of fear and anger ran like cascades down my cheeks

She walked slowly towards me and leaned over the bed "I should have known that you would betray me..." Her voice lowered with each word "I curse myself for having apologized to you…for trusting you" she stretched out her arm to reach my face with her icy fingers, enclosing my jaw with them and forcing me to look up, into her eyes "It was all a lie…your forgiveness…your flowers…your attempts at conversation…" _No…that had been true…_ I wanted to say "I'm truly sorry for what I'm about to do…" _This is it…this is how I'm going to die…_ I closed my eyes and braced myself waiting for the blow. She grabbed me by the arms and I felt like fainting. I was suddenly standing and still could feel her fingers grasping my arms tightly. I opened my eyes to find myself in total darkness. The air was extremely dank and cold and I could hear a thousand screams, bouncing like echoes on walls I could not see…and her voice very close to me "I cannot ignore what you've done" she released her hold on my arms; her voice was methodical, without a hint of empathy. I tried to focus my eyes but all I could see was blackness. I touched my eyes with my hands instinctively. I thought with dread that maybe this was her punishment…to blind me

"What have you done to my eyes?" I cried desperately trying to see something

"Your eyes are perfectly fine…" She resentfully assured me "you are in the cells of darkness…where the traitors are punished…"

"No…no please!" I extended my arms in front of me, reaching for her. I sensed her a few feet away from me and clung to her clothes "Please…don't leave me in here" It terrified me not been able to see anything and not knowing how long I was going to stay in there…

"I'm really sorry…more than you can imagine" She said with mourn "But I can not forgive you for this..." and disappeared from my grasp

"Noooo!" I let go with a heart-wrenching cry "No no no…pleaseeee" I walked slowly, always with my hands in front of me until I came across a wall of cold and wet stones; it gave me some security to hold on to it… "What have I done?...What have I done?" I repeated without finding comfort. I slipped to the floor leaning my back against the wall, which was my only stand. Gradually, my heart returned to its normal rhythm along with my breathing, but something started to puncture me in the left side. I was suddenly quite aware of the pain I had ignored since she found me in the woods; not because it was an easy pain to overlook, but because my brain could not be aware of so many things at once. I probed my side with my right hand to assess the damage and noticed with dread that it hurt more than before. I moved along the wall until I found a corner. I rested my uninjured side against it but soon the pain became unbearable, so I decided to lie down on the ground, wrapping my torso with my arms and trying to keep warm with my coat...What else could I do?. I cried with pain and fear until I ran out of tears. I could only hope for her to have pity on me and get me out of there soon...but something told me that she had no intention of behaving so benevolently that time...and never again

* * *

 **P.S.:** Please...don't hate me for this chapter...I promise everything will be fixed very VERY soon ;) great things are about to happen. I ask you for a little more patience, I promise it will be worth it. Thank you for reading ;)


	15. Chapter 15

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I know I know...this chapter sucks. I'm sure it is not what you were expecting, but it was necessary. Don't worry...I'm working on the next chapter really _really_ fast so...good news! you won't have to wait too long for next chapter. Everything is about to improve...thank you so much for your patience (I'm starting to believe that I'm trespassing on your patience) I beg you...bear with me! because very soon you will be rewarded ;) By the way, I'm super super happy for all your amazing comments...your support keeps me going with this story, it would not be possible without it.

Best regards! and hope you enjoy!

 **CHAPTER XV (Nicky´s POV)**

She was right to think the worst. I did not like the situation either but I tried to keep my mind cold for her sake. She disappeared in front of me and I hated her for not taking me with her leaving me completely frustrated for not being able to help. I ran back to the kitchen, where Red was expectant and worried…

"And?" She urged me to know

"Nothing…we couldn't find her" I said hopelessly

"Heavens…!" Red exclaimed with great dread

"But Alex will find her for sure…" I added quickly

"Where is she?"

"I don't know…she disappeared without explaining…" I was really pissed at her "I guess she heard something that had to do with her…" Red's face was filled with heavy concern so I tried to appease her "Hey…" I pressed my hand against her cheek "You know she's not going to let anything bad happen to her" I knew that, but… _what if it was too late?..._ I rejected that dark thought straight away

"I know…" Red agreed with me "She's very into her, isn't she?" So she had also noticed…

"How do you know?" She always surprised me with that secret sense of her…she was able to perceive even the smallest detail; there was nothing that we could hide from her

"Ohhh my dear…I can spend all day locked up in this kitchen, and I still know everything" she said lovingly "Do you think I have not noticed the changes? Her mood swings, her lack of appetite…even Sylvie noticed… _ha!_ Why else would she want to poison her?" Her reasons made me smile

"Yeah…I guess we all noticed but her…" I smiled fondly but I dreaded something deep in my heart "Red…if something bad happens to Piper…" she cut me out immediately

"Don't say that!" she told me firmly "Besides…you said it yourself, she would never allow it" Her words, though they were the same that I had said, reassured me

We had no choice but to wait. Red offered me hot chocolate to calm my nerves, but I was not able to bring anything to my mouth because of the feeling of nausea caused by worry…I don't know how much time had passed, too many hours; I knew I could not take it anymore. I could not keep waiting in the kitchen with my arms crossed…

"Alright that's it…" I got up from my chair straight like an arrow… "I can't stand it anymore…"

"And what are you going to do?" _I could not do anything!_

"I don't know…but I cannot be still…I'm going to her room" I decided "You stay here in case she happens to appear in here first" I suggested and left

"Let me know as soon as you have news…!" I heard her shouting before I left completely

I ran the long walk from the kitchen to her room, and opened the doors breathlessly…she was right every time she told me I needed to exercise more. My heart sank when I found her room empty… _Shit!_...I lingered around unable to stand still. The sound of broken glass made me turn my head towards the library…I ran immediately to it. In the dim light of the cloudy sunset I found her…

"Alex!" relief was immediate but it was rapidly replaced by uneasiness when I noticed her state… "Alex?" I went further into the library, getting closer to her. She was standing in front of the chimney that was off. I saw pieces of glass and the yellow roses mixed with ashes and burnt wood _What the hell happened?_ I was afraid to ask, but I could not hold my tongue "Alex…what happened?" She did not react to my question…she did not even seem to perceive my presence. She lit the fireplace and sat at her usual chair, to observe the spectacle offered by the roses on fire. The whole thing was worrying "Alex!" I shouted, demanding her attention with more persistence

"It's time to forget her Nicky" She delivered with an unemotional voice… _Forget her?_ I felt uneasy, of course, I had thought the worst…

"Alex…" I said carefully "Where is she?" _Had it been too late?_

"Don't worry…she's fine…" She said casually, though she did not reassure me "Despite her situation…" she corrected

"Her situation?" Her attitude was somewhat disturbing and was starting to get me on my nerves

"I had to lock her…in the cells of darkness…" Why in hell would she lock her in there?

"Are you out of your mind!" If I thought the common cells were a terrible place for her…I could not imagine her in that place

"I'm not out of my mind" She said calmly facing me for the first time "Is what happens to the traitors...to the fugitives…" she explained

"Fugitives?" I was more lost than her sense of humor

"Seriously…Do you still don't understand?" She said with a strained voice and stood up to face me closely "She was trying to escape Nicky" She laughed bitterly which made me think that she had lost her mind…I would have preferred to see her angry before acting so bizarre. Despite of that, I considered her words…

"That's…impossible" Piper…escaping? I could not picture her doing such thing…

"I would not have imagined it either…" Thankfully, her face hardened…that was better than the weird smile that looked like a grimace. She turned her back to me and got closer to the chimney "She fooled us all Nicky…" No…I could not believe that Piper could have done that, not because I thought she was not smart, on the contrary, she was too clever, but she had no material for trickery…

"Alex…with all due respect, I think you are talking nonsense" I tried to argue

"She tried to escape Nicky! She confessed it to me!" her voice became grave, with that characteristic angry tone "And I'm so stupid…I had assumed she had tried to follow us" She laughed humorlessly "Her friendly conversations, her damned flowers, her apparent innocence…it was all a charade to gain my trust… _our_ trust…" she left behind the angry tone and dropped herself into the chair…she was _hurt_ and I was pissed; Could all that be true? I could not doubt Alex's words. Maybe she had tried to escape…but in no way I was going to believe that she had planned it; her sympathy could not be feigned…I refused to believe it. Something had to have happened to her for her to decide to do it…

I did not want to put my finger on the sore, but I had to ask "Did she explain to you her reasons?"

"She thinks I am a monster…" She had been called worse things, even so I had never seen her so mournful

"Did she say that to you?" I pushed her to go on, but she just nodded solemnly, with her eyes fixed on the fire. I could not allow that "I need to see her" I needed to solve that mess...if all that was true, I wanted to hear it from Piper's lips

"No!" She growled "Under no circumstances I want you to talk to her…look the good you've done to me encouraging me to go after her" She reproached me and exhaled exhausted "Just…let it go…" It broke my soul to see her like that. _Dammit!…_ I had really believed she was special, that she was the one designed to make her happy…

"I'll leave you alone…" I had nothing to say to her, and I knew that she probably wanted to be alone "Call me if you need anything…" I offered her remembering that she had no longer a personal maid.

I went directly to the kitchen, to tell everything to Red and to put together a plan to find Piper. I had every intention of ignoring what Alex had just forbidden me… _of course I was going to talk to Piper_ , though it was going to be complicated to dodge the security of those cells. After patiently telling Red the whole story, she was as stunned as I was; she was sure that Piper could not have premeditated the escape…

"But why on earth would she suddenly decide to escape?" she asked me really upset

"I have no idea…but I have every intention of finding out…" I guaranteed "We need to find her Red" I let it fall. She was always reluctant to conspire behind Alex's back, but to my great surprise she seemed to agree with me

"If she's in the cells of darkness, it's going to be very difficult to reach her" She pondered. Of course it was going to be hard. The cells were buried several feet underground and had a single entrance constantly guarded by a guard. Even if we managed to pass over the guard, that place was a labyrinth of passages without light "Maybe you can demand to see her" She said hopefully, naively believing that Alex had not anticipated my intentions

"Red…surely Alex already told Piscatella not to let me in…" Piscatella was the main guard, in charge of those cells. A strong man of great size and with a face that was not inviting at all. His shift extended half the day, from midnight to noon

"Maybe she forgot about it…" she said without conviction, knowing that I was right

"We could try with Healy" The other guard was totally the opposite. A man of a certain age…a real fool, in charge of the other shift, from noon to midnight

"Oh no…I don't think dealing with Sam is a good idea…" I noticed some awkwardness in her relaxed manner

"Sam?" I found it unusual that she referred to him with such familiarity

"…that's his name" she retorted defensively

"Yeah…I know…I just found it weird that you called him by his first name" she just shrugged grumpily; the subject really seemed to bother her somehow "Why do you think is not a good idea dealing with him?" I personally preferred him over Piscatella

"Because…" she was out of words "I said so!" she turned around hastily avoiding my gaze

"That's an excellent argument…" I added sarcastically. Why would she refuse to deal with him? I pondered for a minute and then it hit me "Red…" I began tentatively "Has anything happened between you two?" I could not stop smiling. She faced me offended

"Don't be ridiculous!" she said sharply

"Thank heavens! I don't think I would be able to call him _Dad_ " I joked and regretted it when I felt the blow of her hand against the side of my head…as always, too fast to dodge it " _Oooouuuuch!"_ I whined

"You always with your stupid jokes!" she lectured me "Do you think it's time for jokes?"

"Alright alright…I'm sorry…you are right" I recognized. _Focus Nicky!_ "Now…don't be mad alright but…dealing with Healy is going to be easier than dealing with Piscatella" I tried to reason with her. She knew I was right

"Arrrghh…Fine!" She agreed grudgingly. I still did not understand her reluctance

"Red…now seriously…what happened?" My tone was devoid of banter. She took a deep breath and confessed me

"He's been… _courting_ me" I kept my face serious, not wanting another powerful blow "He likes me…" My face lit up with that confession "What?"

"Red…that's perfect!" she did not grasp my intentions "That will make everything easier"

"What?"

"You'll distract him while I sneak in to find Piper…" The plan was perfect "Come on!" I encouraged her to be as ecstatic as I was.

"You will be responsible for my death one of these days" she said dramatically and I laughed, knowing she had agreed without words to follow my plan.

"So…I must assume that you don't like him back" I said to keep a light mood, but her intense glare made me think otherwise "Nope…you don't" I dropped the subject and we focused on our plan

The only drawback is that we had to wait for the next shift; then the sun had already set, and there were still some hours left for his shift to be over until midnight, but we would need all the hours of the shift to have enough time to find Piper. I thought the best would be to plan the whole thing better for the next day, at the end of Piscatella's shift. At noon, we could go there, perhaps with the excuse of bringing him food. I did not like the idea of not knowing her whereabouts for so many hours, but there was no other option. I assumed that the best thing to do was trying not to think a lot about it and focusing on organizing the plan

The moment took too long to arrive; I had discovered that night what insomnia was… _No wonder why Alex seems always so moody…_ I thought. In the kitchen, Red seemed ready to go to war…assuming her role with dignity

"Relax Red…just give him the basket with the food and do some small talk…"

"Small talk? Like what?" She asked me desperate

"I don't know…the _weather_?" No topics came to my mind

"The weather has not changed in over 30 years I've been in here" she started grumbling and I could only roll my eyes

We walked cautiously towards the south, always looking behind our backs hoping not to be discovered by Alex. We stood still sheltered by a wall, trying to see from afar the change of guard.

"This is a terrible idea!" Red was already starting to change her mind… _Coward_

"Shhhh, keep your mouth shout!" I commanded her in a hushed voice "There he goes…" I saw Healy walking slowly towards the entrance "Hurry up!" I mustered, as if he could hear me…after a few minutes I felt great relief when we saw a big man coming out from the buried entrance…"Alright Red…" I turned to see her "Piscatella is out…" it was time for her to do her part. She took a deep breath, held the basket full of food and began to walk with determination. I followed her cautiously. She went down the stairs with extreme care…the steps were quite high. I was behind her, leaving some feet apart between us; there would be a hundred steps, who knows? Maybe more...the truth, I had never taken the time to count them. The air became colder and moister in the descent. When I saw that she had reached the ground, I stayed a few steps back, listening attentively to Red's words waiting for my clue…

"Hello Sam" she greeted him nicely

"Red?"He sounded extremely pleased "What a great surprise!" I almost felt sorry for him; if he knew he was being deceived… "To what do I owe the honor?"

"Nothing special…" she said casually "I just wanted to pay you a visit…"

"You did not have to come to this horrible place…"

"For that very reason…I have come to bring you something to lighten your shift"

"What is all that?" he asked suspiciously

"I hope you have not had lunch yet…"

"Ohhhhh Red…you didn't have to…" His voice was beyond delight

"I can't help it…you know how much I love to satisfy the palate of people" she delivered with some mischief. By the sounds of gratification that followed, I could only assume that he was already filling his mouth with mounds of food

"Why don't you try the _Corn Bread…"_ My clue! I went down the remaining steps and peeked cautiously around the wall. Yes, Red had totally distracted him with the food… _That was easy_. I smiled triumphantly and with light steps I went into the main tunnel. I picked up a small torch hanging from the wall and got deeper into the hall, at the end of which there was a heavy and thick wooden door. I pushed it lightly, careful not to make it squeal; thankfully, it did not make much noise. Behind the door, another flight of stairs awaited for me. With the torch in front of me I continued to go towards the depths. Down, again in level ground, I reached the core of the maze; a circular stay whose walls had eight entrances all around… _This is going to be tricky_ , I thought with dismay, _Where do I begin?_ I thought it did not matter, so I took the first entrance, to the right of the stairs. I already could hear the cries of dread coming from the cells; I did not feel sorry for the people who were locked in there…they were the worst kind, and Piper was in there too. I could not help feeling true hostility against Alex, when she behaved like that. I was also pissed at Piper, for trying to escape, but this punishment was disproportionate for someone like her…I noticed that Alex's decisions were out of hands when it came to her… _Definitely the girl does not allow her to think clearly…_ I started calling her name and peer through the small crack of the iron gates of each cell

"Piper?" I asked every time with a hushed voice. I received answers, but not from the person I was looking for… _Please…Help me…Get me out of here…let me die…_ all those phrases echoed in the deepest of the earth "Piper!" I whispered each time with more intensity…

The time passed…I had already checked three wings… _Five more to go._ This time I decided to choose one at random… _Six…_ hoping fervently it was the right one… _Here I go!..._ The universe was merciful to me, because a few meters into the hall I called her name through the slit of one cell and received an answer

"Piper?" I asked again louder in case I have heard wrong

"Nicky…" this time her voice was clearer, although it sounded quite weak

"Piper!" The little crack in the door was halfway up, so I had to crouch…it was also too narrow to introduce the torch through it, which made it difficult for me to enlighten the inside of her cell "Follow the light" I suggested. I heard her making a sound of complain, as if moving with effort… "Are you alright?" I asked her with true concern

"I don't know…I...can't come any closer" she said weakly

"Did she hurt you?" I knew it was not right for me to think that. Deep down I was completely sure that Alex would never be able to hurt her; still…I had to ask

"No…I fell off the horse" she said tiredly, her voice almost fainting. So she had taken the horse

"So it's true…you were trying to escape" Until then, I did not want to accept it. Dissaponitment was very clear in my voice

"Yes…" She barely whispered "...but you can not escape the darkness" she said incoherently, almost mumbling

"Are you sure you are alright?" I peered through the door's slit trying to see her

"…it's so dark in here, I could not tell if my eyes are open" her voice sounded like someone else's. She made no sense

"Piper…" I said sternly "I need you to tell me…Why you tried to escape?" I went straight to the point. She barely spoke after a moment in silence

"I can't…" She whined. My suspicious were certain, _something had happened to her_

"You can't say it?" I tried to get the truth out of her

"I…I just want to go home…" Her cry resembled the whimper of a little girl. She worried me to the bone. She had gone through so much since she got there and I had not seen her breaking down like that

"Hey…" I soothed her through the opening "Hey _shhhh_ …Piper, I promise I'll get you out of here, but I need you to trust me" she sobbed "I need you to tell me what happened…what made you escape so suddenly?…"

"Let me sleep…" she whispered bleakly "Is so dark in here..."

"What? Are you even listening to me?!" No response "Piper!" I raised my voice

"As dark as her hair…" was the last thing she said with a falling voice

"Shit!... _shit shit shit shit shit"_ _I fell of the horse…is nothing…_ She had said…well obviously it had been more serious than she thought "Piper!" I stood on my feet and slammed the door vigorously "Fuuuuuck!" I ran as if my life depended on it…I climbed the flight of stairs and this time I was not careful with the big door; I found Red and Healy where I had left them. I did not know how she did it to keep him distracted so long

"Red!" Healy was quite staggered

"Nicky…what are you doing in here?" she pretended to be surprised

"Indeed…how did you get in here?" He demanded to know, but I did not answer

"Give me the keys of the cells…" I lay out firmly

"I can't do that…" he stated as if I had suggested him to turn that pit into a palace

"I do not give a shit about it…give me the damn keys!" I demanded him with a tone that made him know that I was not joking

"Nicky…what's going on?" Red asked

"She's hurt Red, she's not alright…" I explained

"Who are you talking about?" Healy asked

"Of a prisoner…she entered yesterday afternoon" Red explained to him "Her name is Piper and we need to get her out of here so…Sam, I'm begging you…give us the keys"

"But I…I can't" He refused to cooperate…

"I swear I'll kick the keys out of you!" I jumped on him but Red got in the way

"Nicky calm down!" She held me tight trying to reasoning with me

"I don't have the keys!" Healy said defensively "Lady Vause took them with her…" _Of course she did…_

"Well…we've got to do something…we need to get her out of here" I looked at Red in dismay

"I don't think that's going to be possible…not without the keys" Healy calmly explained

"Then I'll bring the damn keys" I resolved

I ran with all my strength…I thought I would faint just by climbing the stairs. The distance to the main entrance of the castle had never seemed so extensive. I ran across the field, not caring to be seen. When I finally got to her room, I was completely out of breath… _Please be here…_ I wished

"Alex…" I panted looking around… _The library…_ I got to think in the middle of the fatigue…I stumbled against the door that lead to the library, opening it wide and had to bend over resting the palm of my hands over my thighs not to fall…

"What the hell!" She got up from her chair startled. She seemed not to have moved from the same place since the day before "Nicky…are you alright?" she got closer and placed her hand on my bent back, while I was trying to catch my breath. I could only deny with my head… "What happened?" I got straight with some effort; I had to even take her by the arm because the library was spinning around me…

"Piper…" her face told me that she did not want to talk about it

"I thought I made it clear that I do not want to hear from her" she took her arm that was my support away from me

"Listen Alex…please…" _Deep breath_ "You have to…" _panting panting "…_ get her…out of there…" _another deep breath_

"She needs to learn the lesson…" her decision was immovable "Don't worry…I'll just leave her in there a couple of days" _She may not have a couple of days_

"No…Alex… I just talked to her…she's not well" she did not let me finish

"How the hell did you get to her?" Yes, she was definitely mad…but that was not the point

"That's not important…Alex…she's hurt" I got her attention

"Hurt?" her face was still doubtful "How do you know?"

"She said she had fallen from the horse, and she was acting weird like… _delirious_ " I explained

"Did it occur to you that probably she's faking it? She seems very good at that" I knew she was not going to be easy to convince

"Alex…look at me" I told her as stern as I could be "I know her a little better…believe me when I tell you, something is wrong with her" In case of being wrong…I would gladly assume the consequences of my acts. We looked into each other's eyes…she was trying to discern how serious was I being "I'm begging you" those words made her fully believe me. Without saying a word, she disappeared…

"Damn it! I hate when you do that!" I said annoyed, hoping she could hear me. I did not know what to do, where to go…so I lingered nervously between her room and the library, resigning myself again to wait without being able to do anything…


	16. Chapter 16

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: SURPRISEEEE!** I realized that I could update faster if I wrote slightly shorter chapters...I'm not talking about this chapter because this one is quite extensive. The thing is that...( I'm about to tell you a little secret) I like to store at least a couple of chapters ahead the one I'm updating, for example, right now I'm updating Chapter 16, which means that I already wrote chapter 17 and 18, and now I'm working on chapter 19 so I won't update chapter 17 until 19 is over and so on (don't hate me, I do it for the sole purpose of always having some material to update on time so you don't have to wait too long in case I have some kind of unexpected drawback that prevents me from writing fast) so I always update if I have two more chapters written. I updated chapter 16 fast because chapter 17 and 18 are a little shorter, but I thought that was better in order to update more frequently...see? I do it for your own good...In any case, I would like to know your opinion about it...Do you prefer longer chapters but slower updates or shorter chapters and faster updates? :/

As always, I'm highly grateful for your reviews. Enjoy!

P.S.: Have you seen new OITNB season? It's me or Alex gets hotter with every season? XD

 **CHAPTER XVI (Alex's POV)**

Sometimes Nicky could be quite invasive or impertinent…but in the right moments she knew when to leave me alone, like then. I watched the beautiful roses burn, until the golden petals twisted into ashes. When did I let myself be deceived in that way? _The moment you trusted her, the moment you wanted to please her to make her happy…Idiot!._ Yes, I had been a complete idiot, wanting to show her my other self, the one that remained a hermit before the world, willing to go out only for her…a self eager to fulfill any of her wishes; a self that felt like melting with every smile sketched on her lips…a self willing to swallow her pride to apologize, only to her… _If they were monsters…what's left for you?_ My mind could not stop repeating those words. They were only that… _words…_ and definitely not the worst that I had elicited from someone; but they had come out of _her_ mouth…the devastation left by them was unprecedented. Her confession about her attempt to escape did not even make me angry; I felt sunk in the bottom of the ocean. If after all my efforts to redeem myself for all the damage I had done to her, she still believed the worst about me, then so be it…I did not want to imagine her in those terrible cells, but I could not ignore her betrayal, her deception. Maybe a couple of days would be enough…I would have to think what I would do with her after her punishment; definitely I would never let her see my hidden self anymore, so I held it in the very depths of my being determined to never let it out again. _Why did you do this to me?_ I repeated in my head although she had already given me her reasons…it was hard to understand how someone who looked so innocent was capable of acting so premeditatedly…like the sham of the roses; so beautiful and delicate, inviting you to take them, only to hurt you with their thorns… _Damned roses…damn her…_ I completely lost the track of time, without caring about the dawn anymore if it was not for the sole purpose of seeing her…

The next time Nicky appeared it startled me her state…she was panting with great effort and a veil of sweat covered her face, as if she had just escaped a dragon…she gasped her name _Piper…_ I should have assumed as soon as I saw her that it was about her; my insides stirred by the mere mention of her name… _I don't want to talk about her_ …But the urgency in Nicky's eyes when she told me that Piper was hurt made me change my mind. As much as she had hurt me, the simple thought that she was in pain was unbearable. I disappeared in an instant…

I found myself in the cell where I had left her. Darkness was absolute, perfect for my senses to become sharper. I saw her, curled up against a corner…

"Piper?" I got closer and knelt by her side…she was mumbling nonsense words… "Piper?"

"Alex..." _Alex…_ It was the first time she called me by my name. Her voice was weak and her eyes were closed. I touched her forehead and I was alarmed at how hot she was, burning in fever…

"Oh shit…" I cradled her against my chest and picked her up from the ground pressing my lips against her burning forehead "Shhh…you'll be fine" I reassured _me_ and took her to my room to laid her gently on my bed "You'll be fine you'll be fine" I kept saying frantically trying to think what to do…Nicky found us in my room…

"Alex…" Nicky got closer to the bed… "What's going on?"

"She's burning…" I told her without taking my eyes off her laying figure

"What do you need?" she asked hopeless…but I was as lost as she was

"I…I don't know" My magic was futile…not meant to heal…with the only purpose of destroying, damaging… _Killing…_ I despised myself for it "We need to…examine her…to look for wounds…let's take her clothes off" My mind started to work fast after a moment of numbness

"Alright…" she got into bed to kneel at her other side. We began to remove ever so slightly her thick coat, but when I tried to pull out her arm she cried in pain…

I took my knife from my belt without hesitation and began to tear her clothes by its seams…We uncovered her torso first, exposing her undergarments. At that point, I needed to be more careful with the knife. With the tip of it, one by one I cut the laces that tied her corset on the front… I was going to see her naked chest for the first time, an image that I have to recognize I've been eager to see for some days, but at that moment I did not even register her nakedness. I carefully examined every inch of her skin; the source of the problem was quite evident on her left side, where Nicky was knelt…

"Oh fuck…" she was the one to muster some words. I was dumb with the image. A large blackish purple stain, shadowing all along the side of her ribs. I felt my hands numb while they reach her ribs to probe them

"I think she broke a couple of ribs…" what most worried me was the obvious internal bleeding. I acted fast, methodically. Maybe my magic could not help her, but my healing knowledge could…having read so many books throughout my existence had to be of some use. I ordered Nicky to bring boiled water, and I went quickly to the library, where I stored all kinds of healing concoctions and herbs…I started to prepare things, and while waiting for Nicky I examined her body in case there was something that was out of my sight. I pressed my ear against her chest to hear her breathing, I listened attentively at various points on her side; there did not seem to be any kind of anomalous sound that indicated that her lung was punctured…she stirred and said something unintelligible

"Piper…what is it?" I asked her softly

"Alex…don't go…" she hummed opening her eyes for a second

"Hey…I'm just right here…" I grabbed her hot hands between mine and leaned over her

"So dark…" she seemed delusional "I'm scared…"

"Don't be scared…I'm just right here…I won't let anything happen to you…" I whispered right in her ear. Nicky came along with Red, carrying a big bucket of hot water…

"Ohhh my dear…" Red cried getting closer to Piper

"I'm going to need your help…" I told them "I warn you…What I'm about to do is not going to be pretty"

"We will help you" Red said unwavering…

"Yeah yeah…we will…" Nicky also agreed but her face was greenish, she had a weak stomach

"Lit the fireplace to heat the room Nicky" I gave her a bloodless task "Red…I need to draw the bad blood out of her…"

"Alright…" She got pale but was very determined

"Prepare an opium infusion…we need to make sure she won't feel a thing…" I indicated her and she did as I said. I lifted her wobbly head and Red tried to make her sip the infusion. She spilled a lot of it out of the corner of her lips, but something had managed to get into her system. I gave the opium a few minutes to have effect. I lifted her eyelids with my thumbs to see her unresponsive pupils; she was out. I turned her very softly on her right side, so that the injured area was exposed and surrounded her with pillows to keep her in place.

"Keep her like this" I told Red and she held her in place. I took a bottle of the purest alcohol and approached the fireplace, knelt and put the blade of my knife into the flames, until it glowed "You better not see this" I advised Nicky, who was also at the chimney. I went back with Red and poured the spirits on her torso to clean the area. I waited for the sharp blade to cool and pressed firmly its edge against her purple skin. The darkened blood gushed out hideously. I drained the bruise as best I could. I poured more alcohol into the open wound and proceeded to sew the wound with great precision. Red helped me clean it and Nicky had to leave the room unable to bear the bloody smell. Once cleaned, we prepared a poultice with various herbs and held it above the injure wrapping her torso with clean bandages.

"What can we do now?" Red asked me when we were done

"Nothing…I've done all that was in my hands…" My eyes were fixed on her. I gently repositioned her, trying to make her body fit more comfortably and covered her diligently with the sheets "She has lost a lot of blood...now we just have to wait and hope she overcomes the infection"

"I think I better go to see how Nicky is going…" I knew her real intentions were to leave me alone "Call me in case you need anything…" she offered

"Thank you Red" I said in a tired voice

"Don't thank me…" she took with her the cloths soaked in blood

I stayed by her side night and day. I devoted every hour to taking care of her…changing her bandages, cleaning her wound, struggling against the frequent outbreaks of fever, and feeding her with small sips of nutritious infusions…and to listen intently to the beating of her heart. I had become so familiar with it, that I could tell if she had a fever or was having a nightmare just by its sound. I did not dare to divert my attention away from her, not even for a second. I put aside my obligations and duties, leaving Nicky completely in charge. Maybe it was a lot of work for her alone, but for the moment, until Piper did not wake up, I had no intention of leaving her side. Not even the desperate calls of the supplicants aroused my interest; for the first time I ignored the opportunity to make lucrative deals with hopeless people. I had taken the habit of talking to her, I even started to read her the book I had given her; at least I think she was enjoying it before all this happened…Nicky and Red were starting to get nervous about my apathy toward all the things that happened outside my room…

"It's been four days!" Red lectured me with her heavy accent "You have to eat something!" She tried to coax me into eating preparing all kind of delicatessen

"I'm not hungry…" I would always answer the same with a monotonous voice. I felt her coming closer behind my back, to put her hand on my right shoulder

"She will be fine Alex…She is a tough one…" she said with great admiration. I held Piper's hands and they felt so fragile, as if they were about to vanish into mine. Even though I tried to keep her fed, it was not enough. The bones of her body were more prominent than ever; it terrified me to the core…if she did not wake up soon and start eating properly, she was going to die…

"Yes…she is tough" I said despite her current fragility, because her heart sounded with the intention of continuing beating, every minute a little fiercer. I thanked that her heart seemed as persistent as the person who carried it… _So stubborn…_ I smiled sadly missing her obstinacy and her blue eyes so full of life. I was so absorbed in watching her that I did not even notice that Red was gone.

That day I paid special attention to her temperature. She had spent the whole morning without a fever. I leaned over her and pressed my lips against her forehead. It was warm of course, but properly warmth. I relaxed immediately, a smile breaking out on my lips that were still reluctant to stop feeling her wonderful delicateness. I came to a halt when I felt her stirring under my lips making little complaining sounds…

"Hey…" I muttered softly a few inches from her face and placed my left hand against her cheek "Piper…can you hear me?" she had a grimace of discomfort plastered on her face. It worried me that she might be in pain. She gasped repeatedly as if to say something "What do you want? Are you thirsty?" she nodded ever so slightly. I took the glass of water that was on the bedside table and with great care I slid my hand under her head to prop her up a little and avoid choking. I put the rim of the glass between her parted lips and tilted it until the water wetted her lips; she gave a couple of little slurps and rejected the water withdrawing her lips. I wanted her to drink a little more "Take another sip…" I tried to coax the water into her but I could not force her, her lips were closed tightly so I gave up and placed the glass again on the table. I tried to get a word out of her, to assess her state of awareness… "Piper…can you hear me?" I repeated my earlier question but she showed no signs of recognition to my voice "Nod if you can hear me…" I pressed and she became restless…

"Don't make me go there…" I think I heard her saying

"What?"

"…too dark…so much… _darkness_ " I listened carefully, she was probably having a bad dream. Thinking about the latest events, they could only be nightmares. I wanted to get her out of there and erase the torment from her troubled face

"Hey…" I shook her softly by the shoulders "it's just a dream…a bad dream…you are fine" My voice only made her to grow impatient

"Alex…" I did not like the sound of my name full with dread "Stay away…" I was definitely the cause of her nightmares _How could she not have nightmares about me?_ After the things she saw me doing to those men in the woods, after I took her to the dark cells full of human misery. Again, I felt great shame for my actions, I should have tried to talk to her, I should have noticed she was injured but no…my damn pride always clouding my judgment… _How could she not want to escape from me?_ I would escape from myself if I were her.

I decided not to talk to her anymore not to frighten her with my voice and gave her some soothing drops to calm her down. Nicky showed up later…

"How is she doing?" she asked with a hushed voice

"No fever today…" I filled her in with every novelty "She has been quite restless though…I think she's going to wake up at any moment…"

"That's great…" She was really ecstatic with the positive news

"Could you…stay with her?" I left her astonished with my request

"Yes…of course!" she agreed very eagerly "I'm glad you decided to rest a little…"

"It's not so I can rest…" She frowned in confusion so I further explained her "I…I don't want to be the first thing she sees when she wakes up"

"Why?" she asked baffled

"She has been having nightmares… _about me_ …" She made a distressed gesture "Don't worry…I am more than accustomed to being the cause of nightmares for many people" I tried to say with a joking tone but finished bitterly

"She'll come around…" it's all she said

"Maybe I don't want her to come around…" I said with a boundless melancholy "Maybe it's better this way…stop thinking about what could never have been anyway…"

"Alex…you can't just give her up! I mean…how many times have you felt this way about someone?" _Never…_

"Nicky…just let it be" I said despairingly; I knew she was not going to but, for the moment, she did not say anything else… "You can go to sleep and come back tomorrow; she's probably going to be the whole night unconscious with the potion I gave her"

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" She offered

"No, don't worry…tomorrow we'll see if she wakes up"

"Alright then, I'll be here first thing in the morning" she promised

That night was my farewell night. I took advantage of her unconscious state to admire her in a painstaking way, because when she woke up I would distance myself from her loathing towards me; _that_ I could not stand it again. It might seemed somewhat disturbing, to observe someone so intensely while lying unconscious in a bed…to comb her hair with your fingers and caress every feature of her face with feather touches…to press your lips softly against hers… _No! That last thing I should not do…_ I drew back taken aback with my own thoughts… _Dammit! Why does she seem so inevitable?_ I contemplated with great frustration. Perhaps it was simply because nothing was ever more tempting than the impossible things.

Just before dawn, I noticed her getting restless again. The change of her heart was what alerted me; I sensed that maybe she was about to wake up so I went after Nicky, waking her up hurriedly

"Wake up!" I said too loud

"What the hell?" She complained with a sleepy voice

"I'm sorry Nicky" I apologized for waking her up so brusquely "You have to come…I think she's about to wake up…" that woke her up immediately. Back in my room, Nicky was the one to take a sit beside her…I stood out of her sight, but close enough to see her

"Piper…?" Nicky asked tentatively, causing Piper to groan complaining "It's me…Nicky…" another round of discomforting sounds, and I saw from afar her eyes opening lazily

"Nicky?" her voice was hoarse. I allowed myself to smile with never-ending relief

"Hello sleeping beauty…" Nicky greeted her with her characteristic demeanor

"Where am I?" she tried to examine very weakly her surroundings propping herself up feebly on her elbow but immediately a howl of pain filled the room; I needed all my strength to stay put.

"Shhhh, calm down…you are going to hurt yourself…" Nicky soothed her "You are in Alex's room…" she began to explain but Piper cut her right away

"No no no no…" she muttered with dread "Get me out of here…" she pleaded faintly, with no strength to move

"Piper calm down…look at me" Nicky held her face between her hands, forcing her to look into her eyes "It's alright…nothing bad will happen to you, I promise" Somehow, Nicky's words settled her "Just breathe"

"She's going to kill me…" she whined. I could not stand what she was saying and disappeared, to get as far as possible from her words; even so, there was no distance large enough to stop them from hurting. I wandered through the forest without direction, like a wounded animal for at least two days. At some point I assumed that I had to go back. Nicky was waiting for me at the library…

"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded to know

"I needed to clear my mind…did something happen?" I asked guardedly

"No, you know I would have called you…" Of course she would have call me, but still I wanted to make sure she was alright

"How is she?" I desperately wanted to know

"She's been doing really well; at first she was a little restless so I had to give her the sleeping potion...but since she woke up again she's been eating Red's special soup and sleeping like a log" She laughed jokingly and in an instant got a serious face "She told me why she had tried to escape"

"I don't want to know" I made a gesture of leaving but her words stopped me

"…it was all a misunderstanding…" She burst out

" _HA!_ What a piece of misunderstanding!" I laughed sarcastically

"I swear…she told me what happened" I could not let her fill my mind with stupid ideas. Nicky was so eager to get us together that she would say anything for that to happen

"What happened then?" I faced her and asked her with annoyance, just curious to know what nonsense she was going to say

"I…I can't tell you" she said contrite…was she fucking serious?

"Ohhh, how convenient!" I went to the table next to the chimney and poured myself a glass with the strongest drink

"She got scared for… _something…_ " that was a vague explanation "Look…it is not up to me to tell you…she made me promise not to tell you" Why was I still listening to her? "She is truly ashamed for what she did…" I listened carefully with my eyes fixed on my drink and giving her my back, unwilling to see her face "You should talk to her" I drank in one gulp to the last drop and considered her words for a moment

"No I won't…" I turned to see her face of disappointment "I've made a decision Nicky…" I had been thinking about it in those last few days while wandering alone in the woods "Once she is recovered, I'm going to give her back her freedom and you will take her home…" It was a long trip, up to the High Lands, so she would have to regain all her strength to bear it…

"But…but why!?" she asked adamantly

"She does not belong to this place" I said with serenity. I knew for her face that she also thought the same "How many times do I have to hurt her to realize it?"

"What happened was not your fault…" Of course she was going to argue

"Yes it was…" I spitted "From the beginning…" I reproached myself harshly and silenced her before she began to refute me "I don't want to hear it Nicky…" I warned her with a severe tone "From now on, you and Red will take care of her; I don't want to know anything about her, just…knowing she's fine and recovering is all I need…nothing more…" I sentenced firmly

"Do you want us to take her to her room?" she resigned herself to follow my orders

"No…let her stay in my room, it is much more comfortable for her…" She nodded deeply with sorrow "I just need you to pick up some things from it…clothes mostly"

"Alright…I'll tell Red about it…" I could not believe that she had accepted it so easily. That only demonstrated that my decision had been so coherent that even Nicky agreed with it…

The following days were not easy to bear. I made a great effort to make my life normal again. I immersed myself fully in my duties as the _Warden_ , along with Nicky's tasks…while she took care of _someone_ …Temporarily I occupied a room very far away from my former room. I still thought it was too close, so I spent most of the time away from home, for good measure. And yet, my mind did not seem busy enough to lose track of time, as it used to do before _her…_ and there she was again, filling every space of my mind _Don't worry Alex, it will be easier when she's not here anymore…_ But the days went by too slowly; it had barely been over a week since she woke up, and although Nicky and Red claimed that she was recovering quickly, it would take her a few weeks to fully recover, especially for her broken ribs to heal completely. I wanted her away from there as soon as possible, but I would have to arm myself with great patience…

That afternoon I went to the library to take some books to carry to my temporary room… _She's only one door away from you…_ I did not even want to look at the door thinking it would be too tempting… A dry thump followed by a little cry broke my resolve. I dropped the books and walked to the door quickly, pressing my left ear against it…I heard groans of pain so I opened the door leaving it slightly ajar. I peered into my room through the opening and I was alarmed to notice her figure lying on the carpet…

"Piper!" In less than a second I was kneeling right beside her and tried to help her sit "Come on…let me help you" I leaned over her and slid my left hand under her waist by her uninjured side, pressing softly her lower back; she encircled my neck with her right arm and I pulled her towards me

"Ouch…" she flinched in pain when she was sitting. Our eyes met a few inches away; I had never seen her eyes so closely, it was like looking directly in a spring of clear waters, its black center growing with every second. I was very aware that her hand was still around my neck

"I'll put you back in bed" I explained carefully before I dared to do something else, fearing her rejection

"Yes…" she breathed out. Only when I got her consent I proceeded to lift her up, leaving my left hand just where it was, behind her back and hooking my right arm under the back of her knees; she clung to my neck tightly fearing falling. I carried her effortlessly to the bed and lay her gently, her back propped up against a bunch of pillows. Again, she let out a sound of pain…

"Are you alright?" I did not know what else to do, so I stood by the bed

"Yes…I just…got a little dizzy and… _fell_ " she admitted ashamed and still appeared to be a little lightheaded

"Yeah I deduced that when I saw you on the floor…" I smiled but immediately remembered that I was not supposed to be smiling like an idiot anymore and got a stern charade "What were you doing out of bed anyway?"

"I…I wanted to walk" Her answer bothered me; that had been a reckless thing to do

"And you did not think to wait for someone to help you?" I asked through my teeth. She shook her head with eyes wide open fearing my tone "And, where is Nicky? She's supposed to be with you at all hours…"

"At all hours?" she exclaimed in shock "I don't need constant care, I'm not a baby…" She claimed really annoyed

"Well apparently you do…what were you thinking when you tried to go around in your condition? and alone!" I scolded her

"I was thinking that I'm sick tired of being in bed all day…!" she said in an upsetting manner and winced at the end in pain

"Alright alright…" I tried to placate her agitated state "You are right…it must be terribly boring to be in bed all day…" I went on with tenderness "And I understand if you get impatient but…you could have hurt yourself badly…so please, next time just wait for Nicky or Red to help you alright?" she nodded lightly, her face softened from her previous temper "…Where is Nicky?"

"She said she would be back in a moment…" she said with docility that time

"Then wait for her…understood?" she just nodded and I had nothing else to say "I have to go…unless you need something" I offered with a hint of hope

"No…no…I'm fine" she denied with a carefree frown

"Alright then...I'll leave you alone" I turned around and started walking to leave but her voice stopped me

"Lady Vause…" she delivered unsteady and I watched her intently "Would you…stay?" a beautiful pinkish tone spread over her face "There's something I would like to discuss with you" I could hear her heart beating hardly. I realized that I had missed the sound of it so badly; I got so mesmerized listening to it that I forgot to say something "My lady?" she got me out of my stupor

"Yes yes…of course…" I made a gesture for her to continue speaking

"Could you get a little closer?" she asked me timidly and I took the chair next to the bed where I had spent days taking care of her and looked at her expectantly "I wanted to apologize…for what I did…" she lowered her sight looking down to her fidgeting hands on her lap "I don't know what I was thinking…well, obviously I wasn't thinking at all…" she trailed off...

"Nicky told me you got scared…" she froze and turned red with embarrassment; her eyes still fixed on her hands "Don't worry…she didn't tell me the whole story…she kept her promise" I reassured her "I just wish…" I began and this time it was me who had to lower her eyes "…you could trust me like you trust her" That was a very intimate statement…I did not even think what I was saying until I said it…I thanked that it was impossible for me to blush. The silence became too uncomfortable and after some excruciating seconds she said the most dreadful thing

"Maybe…one day…" Our eyes recognized each other timidly; hers seemed to shine boldly…mine surely reflected the emptiness caused by her words…they had shattered something inside me; those were not hopeful words. I had already made up my mind; she would leave this place as soon as she recovered… _period!_ "Anyway…I regret my behavior and…I'm sorry for suggesting that you are a… _monster"_ she went on, barely whispering that last word

"You shouldn't be sorry for telling the truth…" I honestly told her

"Well…I don't think that's the truth…" Her expression was one of repentance

"You don't?" She shook her head and smiled infinitely tender _;_ I looked in her face for a hint of fear in her eyes or her heart skipping a beat, or for some other indication that told me she was not saying those words sincerely, but I found nothing...I believed her but _Should I believe her?_

"Nicky explained to me that those men may not have had the best of intentions…" she delivered every word meticulously

"No, they didn't" I said with a clenched jaw. Just thinking about those men clouded my mind with the worst bloody imaginary "I'm sorry you got to see… _that_ part of me" Her face grew serious and I was afraid that I had triggered terrible memories in her

"Nicky said that you can't control it…" _Nicky says a lot of things she shouldn't say_

"It's hard to explain…" I saw her eyes full with expectation, waiting for me to go on "When I found you…held between them" I thought my teeth would break by clenching my jaw so hard "When I saw their real intentions…I lost it…" I wanted to find those men alive again, especially the one with the mustache, to give him a worse death

"I feel like an idiot…" She said with great shame and I felt sympathy for her "I honestly thought they wanted to help me" Of course she believed them. I imagined her overprotected life, always oblivious to the dangers of the world; it was not her fault, it was just the way she had been raised

"You are not an idiot…It's just that you do not harbor malice in your heart" I told her tenderly, not wanting her to feel stupid "It was simply impossible for you to imagine their true intentions" My words made her cheeks rose delightfully, but her smile did not reach her eyes. Nicky interrupted suddenly our privacy… _Always so timely_ I thought with irony…

"Oh" She smiled widely…quite surprised to see me "I did not know you were here" She was carrying a tray with food "I brought Piper's food…" she said not knowing whether to enter or leave us alone

"It's alright Nicky…I was actually about to leave…" I got up from the chair to make my intentions clearer. Once more I looked at _her_ "Take care… and no _walking around_ again" I scolded her lightly, and I won another of her loving smiles

"I promise…" she blushed faultlessly "Will you…visit me again?" I was still astounded by her smile… _Did I hear correctly?_ She wanted me to visit her again…how on earth could I reject such a tempting offer? _Think Alex…think! A valid pretext not to visit her_

"I will…" I agreed within a second. _You weak and pathetic creature_ I thought with real animosity towards myself


	17. Chapter 17

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello! I'm sorry for the short chapter...As I said...chapter 17 and 18 are shorter than normal...after reading some of your opinions, I realized that most of you may prefer longer chapters, so don't worry, next chapters will be longer and more detailed ;) because big things are about to happen and I need longer chapters and I'm very excited...but I need a couple of chapters to "normalize" the situation between them...

Thank you so much for your patience, I will continue writting as fast as I can so as not to leave you waiting too long ;) Best Regards! you are the best guys!

 **CHAPTER XVII (Piper's POV)**

At some point, I no longer felt pain; only cold… _I'm so cold…_ it was the only thought that allowed me to discern when I was lightly conscious. I was barely aware of the sound of some steps and the voice of a man indicating that it was time to eat. I heard something dragging against the floor… _Maybe a tray with food_ I thought vaguely, but I could not find the strength to look for it in the dark. I was torn between reality and the nightmares that flooded my mind. In my dreams, I was still in the dark… _she_ was in them too. In the middle of the forest, I could only see her pale skin. She was holding out a hand for me to take it, a slightly half smile on her face, as if inviting me to the deepest of the forest, to guide me towards the darkest part, with _her_. I felt a desperate desire to take her hand, but I was terrified to go further into the maze of dead trees. I looked back, and in the distance, I could see some light filtering through the bare branches of the dead trees devoid of leaves…I wanted to go there, towards the light. I turned my head to face her…

"Aren't you coming with me?" She asked with great sadness before my reluctance, her hand still outstretched for me to take it

"We should turn around…to the light" I desperately tried to persuade her

"But I can't…I can't leave the Shadow Lands" she explained softly to me "Come on…come with me" she urged me to take her hand but I was still reticent to follow her

"I don't want to…I don't like the darkness" I refused to grab her hand with all my strength

"But this is who I am…" Her mournful gesture made my heart hurt and I felt the strange desire to embrace her, to appease her apparent pain "I have to go" she finally said and turned to walk slowly towards the blackness, little by little fading into it…a great dread gripped me; I feared that if I did not follow her, I would lose her. My legs seemed indisposed to move…

"No Alex don't! Stay away from it…" I implored her to stay away from the dark forest but she did not seem to hear me, and disappeared engulfed by the shadows…

That dream was repeated several times, and in the few moments that I was aware, disturbing images came to me. The death of those men was something that I would never erase from my mind; the way she ended their lives so easily, without compassion, without even blinking… _She's a monster…she's a monster…_ I repeated in my head, then why did I want to take her hand in my dreams? I wanted to follow her, but my fear of the dark forest won each time.

In a moment of apparent lucidity, I thought I heard a familiar voice saying my name…

"Piper" I tried to pay attention "Piper!" The second time the voice was closer _Nicky?_ I forced myself to answer…

"Nicky…" I could not say it very loudly

"Piper?" an immediate relief washed over me…Nicky was there…

"Nicky!" That time I got to say her name at the top of my voice

"Piper!" she had found me "Follow the light" she said... _follow the light?_ _Am I dying?..._ No, I was not dying, I only had my eyes closed. I saw the sparkling light of a flame seeping through a little slit. I wanted to reach it but I figured my pain, despite having been overshadowed by the cold, was too latent to allow me to move. The pain caused by the little effort numbed my senses and I felt my consciousness fade again, although not completely…I could still hear her voice, but I could not say exactly what she was saying; then I was again back in the woods with _her._

"Piper…?" the next time I heard Nicky's voice, I did not know if it was a dream or reality "It's me…Nicky…" I could see her face, but it was a bit blurry

"Nicky?" I asked her squinting my eyes suspecting that perhaps it was a dream after all

"Hello sleeping beauty…" Her characteristic mocking smile seemed real enough for me

"Where am I?" I was suddenly very alert…I felt restless and tried to take in the surroundings; the sharp pain reminded me of what had happened, I let out a growl of pain

" _Shhhh_ , calm down…you are going to hurt yourself…" she pressed me softly down by my shoulders "You are in Alex's room…"

"No no no no…" Panic took over me; that was worse than the cells… "Get me out of here…" I pleaded dreadfully

"Piper calm down…look at me" She took my head between her hands, I looked into her warm brown eyes "It's alright…nothing bad will happen to you, I promise…just breathe" I tried to do as she said but I let out a squeal in the process

"She's going to kill me…" I cried in despair

"Piper you must listen to me" she said firmly "She's not going to kill you…trust me" _Trust me…trust me…_ everybody was always asking for the same… _Trust…_ But why the hell did I always have to trust everyone? I felt tired, and I was still a little stunned. I found no comfort in her words…if she was not going to kill me, then what would be my punishment?

"You don't know what I saw…what she did to those men…" The words came out of my mouth without control

"What are you taling about? What men?" she was clearly confused

"In the woods…they just wanted to help me…" I felt dizzy remembering the images. I grabbed her arm tightly "You have to help me…" I begged between sobs and complaints; every time I tried to catch my breath, a dull ache would pierce my side

"Hey hey…easy…you are going to hurt yourself…" she caressed my hair lovingly and turned around to bring a clay pot "Have a drink…" I looked at the container with distrust "It's just water…you must be thirsty" in fact, my mouth was very dry so I accepted it when she drew it closer to my lips. I gulped the liquid so fast that I did not notice the sweet taste… _This is not water…_ I realized. So much for trusting her…she looked at me with an apologetic face…

"I'm sorry" she muttered… _Traitor…_ it's all I could think before darkness once again clouded my eyes…I was immersed again in my newly recurrent dream…when I woke up, my traitor's face was once again the first thing I registered. My eyes widened…

"You will listen to me very carefully" her serious tone made me very alert "First of all…I find very offensive that you don't trust me when I tell you that nothing will happen to you; second of all…Alex saved your life. You broke your ribs when you fell off the horse…it was pretty serious and if not for her constant care you'd be dead for sure. And finally…" she frowned deeply and clenched her jaw "I'm really pissed at you for trying to escape…so you better have a good reason" I listened attentively to all her words without interrupting her…my mind was still foggy, but I grasped every word "You will explain it later…now I need you to eat something"

"I'm thirsty…" I said hoarsely; the dryness in my mouth was unbearable. She handed me a glass with water. I looked at it cautiously not daring to drink

"Arrrghhh…it's water this time, I swear!" she rolled her eyes exasperatedly, and I drank the vital clear fluid. The feeling was overwhelming "Are you hungry?" The thirst had not let me realize the great emptiness in my stomach. I was famished so I nodded in response "Good…I'll go to the kitchen to bring you something alright? I'll be right back" she left me alone in the intimidating room, thankfully, not for too long. On her return she came accompanied by Red…

"Ohhh my dear…" Red approached me with a big tray "How are you feeling?" she asked with real concern

"A little dizzy and…really tired" I was having a hard time finding my voice and keeping my eyes open, but the smell of food made me wake up a little

"Of course you are…don't worry…this soup will return the soul to your body" She boasted of the power of her food. Indeed, the soup was miraculous. I ate it all, until the last ladle with Red's help "If I had known that you were so hungry I would have brought more! I'll go and get you another bowl"

"No Red…I'm quite full…it was delicious…" My eyelids felt as heavy as ever

"We should let her get some rest" Nicky suggested

"No…we need to talk…" My voice faded. I tried to fight tiredness but with my stomach full with the warmth of the soup, I was gone for who knows how long. I woke up again under Nicky's watchful sight

"I know my face is the first thing you long to see" I laughed softly at her banter "You feeling better?" she asked me

"Infinitely better…" I whispered

"Can we talk?" I knew what would come "If you don't feel like it, we can talk later"

"I…" I cleared my throat before continuing "I can talk…is just that I don't know where to start…" there were so many things to clear out and my mind was working very slowly

"By telling me…why would you try to escape?" _No…not that_

"I…I can't tell you…" I looked away. In no way I wanted to compromise Sylvie and besides…explaining my reasons would be very difficult. She sighed deeply

"Look at me…" we locked our eyes "Do you trust me?"

"The truth…I don't know who to trust anymore…" I told her what I was really thinking

"Alright…let me ask you something different…" she took a long pause "In the time you've been here…have you had reasons not to trust me?" asked in that way, honestly I had no reasons. I shook my head slightly and she smiled fondly at me "I really need you to tell me what happened. When Alex told me that you had tried to escape it kind of… _hurt me_ " she diverted her eyes from mine "I thought we were friends…" the guilt I felt was intolerable. My eyes burnt furiously with tears…

"I'm so sorry Nicky…" I broke weakly into tears

"No no…don't cry please" Her distressed face warned me that maybe she was not comfortable around tears "I know you could not escape out of nowhere…I know something had to happen to you…"

"It did…" I softly said

"Someone hurt you?" She pressed trying to get the truth out of me

"No…nobody hurt me…" I assured her "I want to tell you, but first must promise me that you will not tell Lady Vause anything…" I made her promise before continuing

"I promise" she said solemnly. I armed myself with courage to tell her everything

"It happened when you left and I stayed in the barn" I began slowly after some seconds "I decided to go for a walk to explore further…" she was listening very carefully "I approached the farm…"

"Oh please…tell me that Sylvie had nothing to do with it…" She interrupted me slightly annoyed. How did she know that Sylvie had something to do with my attempt to escape?

"How do you know?" I spoke out loud my thoughts

"Call it intuition" she added sarcastically "What did she do to you Piper?" she urged me to go on

"I ran into her and she…told me some… _stories_ …" my heart raced fiercely "And I got scared"

"What kind of stories?" by her tone I sensed she was starting to get impatient

"About…Lady Vause…" I could not hold her gaze and lowered my eyes "She told me that Lady Vause got tired of her because…now she was _interested_ in me" I could barely finish the sentence

"And _that_ scared you?" she did not seem to take me seriously

"Not _that_ …Sylvie told me about…the things she likes to do to her servants…" I dropped my voice "That she enjoys hurting them and using them… _in bed_ …" I felt the need to get out of there again…Nicky was silent for a couple of seconds to burst into a wild laughter… _Is she making fun of me?_ I frowned trying to discern her behavior

"Did she really say that to you?" she asked loudly between laughter

"I don't find it funny…" I retorted annoyed feeling suddenly very stupid

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" the tears were coming out of the corner of her eyes… "Is just that…" she took a deep breath trying really hard to get a straight face "I can't believe you fell for that!"

"What?" my face burned with shame

"Piper!...Sylvie messed up with your mind!" Finally she stopped laughing to take on a more serious demeanor

"No!" I flatly denied "She seemed really upset about it…" I could not accept that I had gotten into all this mess because I had been deceived so stupidly

"Yeah…Sylvie is kinf of the master of lies" There was still something that did not fit in at all

"Then what was she doing on the farm with her feet chained?" I could not understand anything.

"Well… _maybe_ the part where she told you that Alex got tired of her…was kind of true…But not as she explained it to you…" she quickly clarified "I'm not supposed to tell you this but I guess I have no choice…" her severity took me aback "Alex found her plotting a plan to poison you…so she had to punish her by removing her from her previous charge as the housekeeper and assigning her to a more _appropriate_ job for her" _Could that be true_? "We didn't tell you anything because Alex did not want to worry you"

"Poison me? But why would she do that?" I was aghast…I had more reasons to poison her than she had to poison me

"Because she hates you…" she simply said…I could not continue that conversation. I've never felt so stupid in my entire life; all the mess I'd caused just because I'd been stupid enough to believe Sylvie's words… _and the men that had died for me…_

"Oh Nicky…" I felt nauseous "I made a terrible mistake" I was again about to cry

"Don't worry about it…it was just a misunderstanding…" _Like it was so simple_

"But those men…they died because of me" _Me and my impulsiveness_ I always got into trouble for it

"What? What are you talking about?" Did she really not know what had happened in the woods?

"Two men found me after I fell off the horse…they offered to help me and then… _she found us_ …" My voice was a mere murmur "The things she did to them Nicky…to those poor men…I will never forget it…" I wanted to cry but I was so tired and weak that my body seemed unable to produce a single tear

"Ohhh…come on…" she got into bed with me, lying by my side very carefully, trying to comfort me in a warm embrace "I did not know that last part…" _How convenient, she forgot to tell you!_ I wanted to spit…but I just sobbed without tears "I suppose it must have been something really hard to see. However, you must know that, if those men were wandering into the Shadow Lands, they were not _poor men_ and they definitely were not intending to help you, in fact, they might have hurt you if she had not arrived on time…and..." she went on "If she did something terrible to them, believe me…they surely deserved it" her words left me flabbergasted

"How can you talk like that?" I was horrified "Nobody deserves to die like that…"

"Some people do deserve it…and that's her job" she calmly explained

"To slaughter people without even asking them what they have done?" the idea was abhorrent

"She does not need to ask…she can see the darkness into people's souls; a look into their eyes and she'll know every crime committed by them throughout their lives"

"And that's her _job_?" It looked like it was a pretty atrocious job

"Yes…among other things; her main task is to give an exemplary punishment to the worst criminals and an opportunity for redemption to those who truly deserve it" There were so many things that I did not know about the true purpose of her existence; I was ignorant of so many things that I thought maybe I had judged her hastily "She cannot control it…is just, who she is" Those last words triggered memories of my recent dreams… _But this is who I am…she_ had recited in my dreams

Again the feeling of guilt seized every inch of my body. She had saved my life twice…apparently when she rescued me from those men, and then, from the wounds I had caused to myself for acting so irresponsibly

"I'm so tired Nicky…" I whined "I don't know what to believe anymore…who to believe…" she nested my head lovingly against her side

"I have already told you…you can trust me" she assured "You can also trust Red, and above all people…you can trust Alex the most" _Could I?_ I remembered her face in the forest after the horrible image that left the man strangled by the roots, but now from a totally different perspective after my talk with Nicky. She had approached me very slowly; she must've noticed my fear and probably did not want to scare me. She took me in her arms with great care…How did I not realize _then_ that she was not going to hurt me? _Have they hurt you?_ It was the first thing she asked me, she was worried for me and I… _I had called her a monster_ , not directly but my words had insinuated it.

"I owe her an apology" I felt sick, as if I were to vomit at any moment "Although I don't think she'll accept my apologies"

"She will…" I clung hopefully to those words

But the passage of days slowly faded my hopes. I did not see her. I asked Nicky for her, but she always gave me some lame excuse, always claiming that she was very busy. I feared that she did not want to see me at all. _How was I going to fix the mess I had caused if I could not even see her?_

"Nicky…we both know that's not true" I decided to face Nicky openly one day "She's not busy…just admit it; she does not want to know anything about me…"

"It's not _totally_ like that…" she did not deny it at least "She…" Nicky began "She just needs some time alright?"

"Time? For what?" I asked defensively knowing that she was avoiding telling me the whole truth. She sighed deeply considering to tell me

"You...you kind of hurt her feelings" To think about it was like falling again from the horse; I released all the air in my lungs "But I swear to you...she'll come around at some point" and that became the new excuse… _She needs some time…_ that I could do, I had a lot of time but, how much would I have to wait?

I decided then, that if she did not come to me, I would have to go to her; of course, that was impossible from bed. I was determined to regain all my strength and little by little, I did. I was beginning to feel extremely anxious for the slowness of my recovery, I wanted to get up and look for her. One day Nicky had left me alone longer than usual, knowing that I was feeling better. She would be back at lunch. I knew I did not have the strength to go far yet, much less to go after her, so I decided at least to walk a little around the room, maybe sitting in a chair like normal people and reading my book which was about to end; that was better than nothing. I sat on the edge of the bed very easily. The pain was still quite intense, but not blinding, so I thought I could stand up. The pain was not what made me fall…as soon as I got up I felt a cold sensation running down my spine, my vision blurred and my hands tingled…and I fell. Thankfully, I did not fell over my injured side; still, it hurt a lot and I let out a cry of pain

"Piper!" The sound of _her_ voice momentarily numbed the pain _How was it possible for her to get to me so fast?_ "Come on…let me help you" She helped me to sit, causing me some momentary discomfort; when I stared into her clear eyes I completely ignored the bad feeling; they were not terrifying like when I saw them that awful night in the woods. I had clung to her neck with my hand without realizing it, and I did not seem willing to let her go, still dazed by her sudden materialization. I wished I had known before that she would come as soon as I was in trouble; I was becoming an expert in getting myself into trouble so surely, something would have occurred to me for her to come to me. She carried me in her arms easily, as she did in the forest when she found me, only this time I felt safe in her arms, even if only for a moment. She laid me down in bed and after a small, and well deserved scolding on her part for trying to get on my feet when no one was around, she was leaving me… _Don't go…we need to talk…_ I wanted to say but I could not find my voice… _No, you can't let her go without apologizing, you've been waiting for this moment for days...do it!_

"Lady Vause…" I dared to call her and the rest of the words were very easy to deliver. That time I was the one apologizing from the bottom of my heart; for my stupidity, for my poorly based prejudgment toward her. Shame was too big for my body to hold it. She listened with great attention each one of my words. She did not seem angry; what was worse, she seemed distant…she had never seemed so vulnerable to me, and that only made me feel worse. Our conversation was honest, direct and… _too short_. Nicky arrived too soon with my lunch…for the first time I was not glad to see her. There were still so many things I wanted to say…so many things I wanted to know. In the midst of the anguish that caused me to think about how many days would I have to wait for seeing her again, I found the courage to ask her

"Will you…visit me again?" My heart stopped, but not for too long because she immediately mollified my agony

"I will" Those words echoed in my mind as the most beautiful melody…they swept my pain away to fill me with an incredible warm sensation. I felt light, as if floating. I registered Nicky watching me closely with a funny smile after _she_ was gone

"What?" I asked her feeling self-conscious

"Nothing" She simply said widening her smile as if enjoying a little inside joke and placed the tray with food on my lap. I did not pay attention to anything else; my eyes got fixed on the door, wishing fervently that she would honor her words...

 **P.S.:** I'm sorry if this chapter does not progress in time, but I needed to explain the circumstances from Piper's POV. It won't always be like this, especially from now on, because they will share more time together, so I can't explain the SAME events and repeat the same dialogues in two chapters. So, to sum it up: although the POV of both overlap in time, I will always try to make some progress in time. This chapter is not the case and again, I'm sorry that I left you exactly on the same point...You'll be rewarded very soon!


	18. Chapter 18

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Helloooo! I'm so happy for the positive reception of this story and for all your incredible comments, really guys, I'm so overwhelmed. I want to remind you, especially to the guests, that if you login and follow the story, you don't have to refresh the page every hour as one guest said he/she does on the review section XD because, when there is a new chapter, you immediately receive an email with the link to it, besides, I really enjoy exchanging words with all of you, so I would like to put names to the comments ;) That being said...here's the new chapter...I hope you enjoy it. As always, I see you on the review section ;) aaaand, about the next chapter, I really don't know when I'm going to be able to update...if everything is going well, I might be able to update for the weekend, let's keep our fingers crossed... Big hugs! Love ya!

 **CHAPTER XVIII (Alex's POV)**

 _I will…I will…_ Why on earth would I say those stupid words? What was I thinking? That was the opposite of what I should do…get away from her as much as possible; _You don't have to keep your word Alex…_ that thought was outrageous, suddenly keeping my word seemed to me a highly moral obligation, besides, what could happen? I had already decided that she would go home once she was fully recovered so, until that did not happen, what was wrong with dealing normally with her? At least she would not take with her such a bad image of me… _You are playing with fire Alex…_ again the stupid inner me always suggesting what was best for me. The hell with it…I would do what would please me; I was the only one that would have to deal with the consequences. My desire to see her again was overflowing, nevertheless, I would wait a little to go and visit her. One day was all I could wait, just one day…for an immortal being like me a day was a mere sigh; It was still the most I could tolerate

I went to the kitchen in the late afternoon and asked Red to prepare me a tray with tea and cookies…

"I did not take you for a tea drinker" Red said with an ulterior motive "At these hours you usually drink other kind of beverages"

"Prepare enough for two…I'll need two cups…" It's all I said, paying no attention to her obviousness

"Are you going to have tea with Nicky? Because I think she's not at home" She asked nonchalantly, trying to coax some information from me. Of course I knew Nicky was not at home; she had gone to do some rounds and I took advantage of her absence to visit Piper, so I would not have to endure her always so opportune interference

"Maybe" I said, making her curiosity grow, but she did not ask any more questions, knowing that her efforts were not going to work with me

Without further words, she prepared what I had asked her and I went immediately to my room…Of course, I did not dare to enter without asking first. I opened the door very slowly and lingered at the entrance holding the tray.

"Can I come in?" I asked tentatively. She raised her sight from the book that was lying on her lap and I wanted to swear that her face had lit up when she noticed me

"Of course you can…is your room after all" She lightly joked. I came in and placed the tray at the big table

"I brought you some tea…and cookies" I got closer to her and held out my hand for her to take it, which made me earn a suspicious look on her part "I thought you might want to take them on the table…I think I've heard something like you been tired of being in bed…" I reminded her of her own words

"Who told you that?" She retorted with a mocking tone narrowing her eyes at the end and took my hand without hesitation. Her hands were firm and strong that time. I noticed that she had recovered considerably, and although that meant that her departure was getting closer, I couldn't be happier for her. I pulled her very gently until she was sitting on the edge of the bed and I noticed a small grimace…

"Does it hurt?" suddenly everything seemed like a terrible idea to me; I thought I should leave her in bed

"No…" she lied miserably

"I can bring you the tray…" I began to suggest

"No!" She fervently denied "Please, I really _need_ to get out of bed" She almost begged and I just wanted to comply with her desire

"Alright…" I agreed grudgingly "But you must promise me that if it's too much for you, you'll tell me" I stared into her eyes and waited for an answer

"I promise" She assured me with a bored tone

"I'll get you up then…ready?" I asked and she nodded eagerly. I leaned over her sliding my hands under her arms and bringing her to me without effort; she placed her hands on my upper arms for support "Are you feeling dizzy?" she looked into my eyes and I could not interpret her face… _Was she about to faint?_

"No" her warm breath caressed my face… _Well...at least one of us is feeling dizzy_ I thought

"You think you can walk?" I did not want to push her if it was too much

"Only if you help me" she timidly recognized and I loved her statement

"Of course" I repositioned myself by her right side, never letting go of her arm, and circled her waist with my left arm, very careful not to press on her wounded side and we began to walk very slowly towards the table; I helped her sit, disentangling my grip on her, much to my disappointment…I found myself enjoying the heat of her body next to mine too much for my own good "That was not bad at all" I wanted to encourage her for her great achievement

"You did most of the work" She complained with a dead pan look, making me laugh softly

"How are you feeling?" I took on a worried tone to ask her

"Marvelously" She said sincerely with a timid smile. I returned the smile sadly…How could she feel that way after all she had been through because of me?…I started to pour some tea into the cups wordlessly and she spoke again "By the way...I'm ready to go back to my room..." She began to suggest

"No...absolutely not..." My room was the best of the castle, obviously...I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible during her recovery

"I would not want to bother you..." I had to cut her out immediately

"You are not bothering me...here you stay until you are fully recovered..." I saw in her the intention to refute my words "End of the discussion..." I ended up saying sternly and she seemed to abide by the decision, although somewhat unconvinced...I continued to pour the tea and set the dishes

"I did not have the opportunity to thank you for taking care of me" Her words deeply disturbed me. I finished serving the tea and left the kettle on the table with extreme caution, afraid to break it under my suddenly clenched hand…I was ashamed to look her in the eye

"Please…don't thank me for _that…_ it was the least I could do" I frowned deeply at her "If I had known that you were hurt…I…I would have never taken you to those cells" _How could I be so stupid for not having noticed?_

"I didn't tell you I was hurt" She said to soothe my guilt "You could not know"

"But I should have!" The rise of my voice and the dry blow of my fist against the table startled her "I should have known that you couldn't have escaped just like that…I should have known that something had to have happened to you so that you decided to risk your life like you did…I should have given you the opportunity to explain instead of throwing you into that cell…I should have given you the benefit of the doubt" Suddenly I noticed I had been keeping a lot of things, mostly, self loathing. I tried to appease my anger under her watchful eyes. After a few seconds she spoke

"By the way I behaved…I did not deserve such thing…" Why was she doing that? It pissed me off

"Nicky believed in you…and she was right to do so"

"And I shouldn't have judged you so terribly and believe in silly rumors…" _Rumors?_ What the hell would have happened? At some point I would have to get the truth out of her, but it did not seem like the proper time to ask her "I shouldn't have escaped and I should have believed you when you told me that those men were bad…" She argued to show me that she had made mistakes too… "I'm sorry I doubted your word" I considered every word. Yes, she had made mistakes too, but I could not judge her for it; having a bad preconception about me was the smartest thing to do. I stared at her longingly and wondered why everything had to be so complicated with her; she had completely disrupted my life from the first day. I did not want to waste the days that she had left in here, I did not want more arguments or misunderstandings…I was tired of it…

"Maybe we should stop apologizing to each other and drink the tea before it cools" I meant it as an invitation to forget the past and she understood

"I would like nothing more than that" She gladly accepted the proposition

From that moment, my visits would become routine and little by little we sowed a special relationship, fed by our increasingly long walks, with which she began to regain her strength …how could something that made me so happy, as to see her healthy and strong could cause in me so much sadness? The faster she healed, the sooner she'd be gone, that was the problem…I hated myself for holding such a selfish thought; I simply did not want to let her go. Nicky argued with me about it, I couldn't tell how many times, but I was resolute because, the truth was that she did not belong to this horrible place and of course, above all, she could never belong to me in the way I ached for her. Sometimes my delusional mind tortured me with cruel imagery of us…every time we walked side by side, every time we spoke, I stalked her lips when she was not looking at me and thought _If I kissed her…would she freak out?_ In my mind she always accepted my kisses, reality would be something else...

Our conversations also became more intimate; both digging into each other's lives. At the beginning most of our talks were propelled by her never ending curiosity about my duty as the _Warden_ , but when there was little more to tell, I encouraged myself to ask questions about her. One morning we had been walking around the castle, again, she was in charge of feeding our conversations with her constant questions; I found her inquisitiveness endearing. At some point I suggested that we should go back to the castle; I thought that maybe she had been forcing her body too much and she needed some rest. I took the opportunity when we were walking back to ask her a question that had been hanging around my mind for some time, maybe even since we met…

"Can I ask you a very personal question?" I did not want her to feel obliged to respond

"Yes…" She said cautiously

"Why your freedom?" It was a simple question, I did not need more words to deliver it, but apparently it was not that easy to answer, because she did not muster a single word "You don't have to answer if you don't want to" I added quickly understanding her silence as an objection to answer and afraid to have bothered her with such a personal question

"Why not my freedom?" She said after some more seconds of silence

"You cannot answer a question with another question…" I complained jokingly

"You just said I didn't have to answer if I didn't want to" She pretended to be annoyed but she kept some residuary teasing to let me know that she was just messing with me

"You are right…you don't have to answer" I said indifferently, pretending not to be interested in her answer

"But I _want_ to answer you…" she exclaimed keenly, making me smile internally…to contradict her always seemed the right way to provoke her, it had the opposite effect "I just need you to be a little more specific with your question" I pondered her words…How could I be more specific?

"To me…freedom is such an abstract concept. I have never been able to understand it but, I would have assumed that freedom is a concept that only people who have lost it can understand its true value" I myself was a being deprived of liberty, still, I could not remember a life of freedom, so I had no idea about it "I just found it curious that someone like you had such a high concept of freedom, as to offer it as the most valuable thing for you" I couldn't explain it better

"Someone like me?" She sounded quite annoyed and I didn't know why; I feared I had offended her

"I did not mean it in a bad sense…" Her tone made me clarify my words immediately "I meant that…you were born and raised in abundance, you are the daughter of the High Land's King; they educated you like a princess…It does not sound like a life deprived of freedom" I left my words in the air

"Yes…" She admitted after a while "I guess that if you compare my life with the lives of other people who have nothing to put into their mouths or a roof above their heads or an education…I'm probably a very lucky person. Nevertheless…growing up with all those privileges does not mean that I was free" I stared at her intently listening to every word, barely paying attention to the road "You don't have to wear shackles and be locked in a cell to feel like a prisoner" I gave her time to go on "Since I was born, I have been conditioned for a life that I did not choose. Every time I wanted to go out and play with the other kids like my brothers did, I had to stay inside listening to absurd lessons about _how to be a lady_ or how to master the _art of sewing_ " she accentuated her words with disgust "My knowledge of the world has been completely determined by what others think what I should or should not know…like other important decisions in my life, I was the only one who could not have an opinion about it. At the age of twelve began the terrible lessons on how to manage a home and how to be a _model wife_ …and a year later I had already been promised to _Larry_ "

"Potato boy?" _Urrrgh_ …I hated that guy already

"Yeah…that's Larry…" She laughed cheerfully at the memory "Of course it was against my will…how could a 13 year old girl be able to make a decision like that?" After some seconds she went on "That night…the night we met, the night I gave up my freedom I swear…I had never felt so free" I stopped abruptly _What did she say? Is she crazy?_ She must have seen my face full of shock because she explained right away "Because…for the first time in my life I was able to make a decision about my life…on my own!" Her patient explanation made me understood. She spoke every word with an abysmal maturity. I could not believe that I had judged her so harshly when she just arrived here, only because of who she was. At that moment I admired her even more, if that was possible at that point

"Thank you for answering my question" I sincerely said

"You are welcome" We resumed our steps

"So…" I wanted to dig deeper "If I told you that you have the opportunity to go back home…" I was afraid to ask but I needed to know, anyway, it was going to happen "…would you like to?" She looked at me cryptically

"Why are you asking me that?" She asked cautiously

 _Because that's what I intend to do…to take you home…_ "No reason" I said, but she was not a fool. That time she was the one to stop to look at me more closely

"I would have to go back to a life that it's not mine…" Her words almost sounded as a plea "I would have to marry a man that I do not love" That turned out to be an extremely interesting fact "Why would you take me back home?" She asked directly, sadness staining her voice. She had caught the real intentions behind my question, she was clever

"No…that's not what I meant…I thought it might be something you wanted" My words did not soothe the hurt on her face "After all the things that had happened, I thought it would be best for you"

"You don't want me here…" I had clearly hurt her feelings

"What!? No! that's nonsense!" My words stumbled…If she could only know how much I wanted her to stay "I just want what's best for you…I…I just want you to be happy"After an excruciating silence, she spoke

"Well…I couldn't be happy there…" her beautiful eyes shone with tears about to fell…I wanted to kick myself for it. The silence became uncomfortable and she diverted her eyes from mine. I had managed to ruin such a wonderful day. I did not know what to say to fix it. Maybe Nicky was right after all, when she said that I lacked social skills or when she jokingly referred to me as an emotional crippled. I decided to risk myself telling her the truth…that could never fail, I hoped so at least

"I don't want you out of here…" Still, she kept her eyes on the floor "Look at me" Reluctantly, she raised her sad eyes to lock them with mine "I want you to stay…as long as you are happy" Her eyes shone and the sadness in them vanished immediately

"I'm happy right now" She said with a sweet voice that melted my insides…It was then that my initial decision crumbled to the ground. If taking her back home was not going to make her happy, then I would make her happy, no matter the cost. _I could do that…right?_

We started walking again, and I noticed a subtle change in the way she kept hold of my right arm, which I always offered her for support on our walks. Her grip felt closer, more intimate. Something had definitely changed in that exact moment…

"So this _Potato boy_ …you never loved him?" I asked nonchalantly, although I've been dying to know more about that specific subject…We were already very close to my room…well, her room for the moment

"Hell no…" She snorted in disgust "The only thing that I will thank my mother forever is to having cancelled the wedding because of the war. I was supposed to marry him when I came of age, at eighteen, but the war broke out two months before my birthday. My father insisted that it was necessary, but she refused vehemently to hold an austere weeding…a few months later my brothers died in battle and my father dropped the idea to keep mourning. One thing after another and here I am, not married to Larry" We reached the room's door and we faced each other "You know…I could really go back to my room, I'm fine" We had the same discussion every day. I narrowed my eyes and a slight smile wanted to break free from my lips

"Are we really going to discuss this again? Because I don't see the point…you know already who's going to win that argument" I smiled smugly at her arching an eyebrow

"But…" As always, she was going to try to refute my decision, never willing to bend without a battle

"But nothing" I interrupted her with severity, making her let out a heavy sigh of frustration…

"Fine! I think is absolutely unnecessary though" She lost again and I laughed at her obstinacy

"Well…I have to go" As much as I would have love to spend the rest of the day with her, I had to fulfill my obligations…besides, to comply with my new resolution to make her happy, I thought about the perfect way to start my new purpose

"Oh…" It delighted me that she could not hide her disappointment "Alright"

"But I'll be back later" I guaranteed "Take care while I'm gone" I said and softly caressed a single lock of her hair and tugged it behind her ear. That simple gesture made her cheeks deliciously shade with a delicate crimson tone…what would happen if that gesture became something more? The thought came to my mind irreparably and my inside growled with hunger…my most primal being coveted her with great ambition. The new decision on her stay opened new endless possibilities

"See you later…" she said full of hope and I had to leave much to my dismay

I went after Nicky, we were already late for our rounds…

"You don't seem to care about punctuality anymore…that's weird" She said ironically when I found her at the stables "I wonder…what's keeping you so busy lately as to delay you from your responsibilities?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously

"Shut up!" I threw her a small sack with coins aiming at her face but she cut it in the air with great skill; if I had wanted to hurt her, she could not have been able to stop it in the midair "Change of plans…I need you to go to the village to make a _purchase_ "

"What about the rounds?" She looked at the coin's bag puzzled

"I can do the rounds alone…besides this is more important" She was taken aback by my intensity

"Alright…what is it?" she asked warily

"A _small_ gift for Piper…" I said without hesitation…She was going to find out about my new decision sooner or later, at some point I would have to endure her banter

"A _small_ gift for Piper?" She repeated slowly, to make sure she had heard rightly "I don't know how small of a gift it is with this amount of coins" She weighed the bag with her hand; indeed, it was a great amount

"Maybe I lied…maybe it's not so small…" I said playfully

"What's the occasion though?" She was completely lost

"She stays…I won't sent her back home" her face of shock was progressively transformed into the must smug smile…

"I knew it!" She said really loud "I knew you would change your mind!"

"I did not change my mind…" I said with great annoyance, although I might have changed my mind on my own, when the time of letting her go would come, but Nicky did not need to know it "I left the option to her, and _she_ decided to stay…I had absolutely nothing to see with her decision" I clarified

"Oh Alex…" she said with mocking pity "Do you really think that you had _nothing_ to do with her decision?"

"What?...No! I swear…" I denied fervently…What was she implying? That I had somehow coerced her to stay? She sighed frustrated

"For a being with a great night vision, sometimes you can be so blind to see the simple truth in front of your nose…" She said and began to saddle her horse "You'd better tell me what _that gift_ I have to buy is; I'd like to be here before nightfall…" She left me thinking deeply in her words… _the simple truth in front of your nose…_ but I did not want to delay her with my questions…

 _What truth would she be referring to?_


	19. Chapter 19

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Happy weekend to everyone! As promised...Here's a new chapter! I can not promise you _exactly_ when I'll update the next one; roughly, I'm guessing that before the end of the week, could be by Thursday or Friday at the latest (I'll try really hard to make it on Thursday!) Well, go and read the new chapter! why are you wasting your time reading my notes? XD

Thank you so much for reading, and for your beautiful support with each one of your reviews ;) Have a happy weekend!

 **CHAPTER XIX (Piper's POV)**

Every time the door opened my heart skipped a beat… _I will…I will…_ she had said, _but when?_ I should have asked her. What I was not expecting was for it to happen so soon…the next day, in the late afternoon. I was absorbed reading my book and her voice took me completely by surprise, asking if she could come in… _she kept her word_ …I thought while she lingered at the entrance holding a tray. She had brought cookies and tea…I was delighted with her gesture, it seemed a tremendously warm detail for me

The days took on a different meaning from that moment. That visit had completely changed our status. From then on, her visits became mandatory; she did not longer have to say promising words to let me know that she would see me soon, I was sure of it, as sure as the sun rises in the east. Every day she appeared in my room proposing different plans. Of course, my condition did not allow me to walk long stretches at first, and she seemed reluctant to go too far, for my sake. On the second day I was able to reach the library, always holding her arm as an anchor

"I noticed that you are almost finishing your book…I thought maybe you'd like to take another one…" she said

"You'll have to help me choose one again…you got it right with your first recommendation" The situation triggered memories of the last time I had been there _This one will please you_ …I felt my skin bristle "Which makes me wonder..." I changed rapidly the trail of my thoughts "…How did you know that I would enjoy _that_ specific reading?" She seemed to know me so well

"You reminded me of her" She said with great seriousness

"You are kidding me right?"Still, I took a skeptical stance

"Why would I do that?" No, she seemed sincere

" _I…_ remind you of… _her_ " The book told the story of a young princess who fought against a great invasion after losing everything. She managed to gathered and guide her people to victory after years of battles. She herself had fought side by side with her soldiers on the battlefield, earning the respect of the most laudable man. She came to reign for many years and brought prosperity and peace to her kingdom…How could she suggest that I had any resemblance to her?

"Absolutely…she fought with great courage risking her life to save her kingdom…and personally, you share great qualities with her…" She made me laugh at that

"I have not fought any battle nor have I risked my life for anything" I defended myself from her compliments

"You don't have to fight physically to wage a battle…" She argued "You had the courage to face the unknown for the sake of your people, you were even willing to die, and you have confronted each adversity with dignity…your soul never gives up, just as hers never did" She delivered every word with fondness. Nobody had ever told me those things, no one had ever magnified me with such devotion…I was speechless "Anyway…you can choose any book…I guarantee that they are all _very_ interesting" She boasted about her collection

"How do you know? Have you read them all?" I asked jokingly

"As a matter of fact…I have" She said coolly. I narrowed my eyes at her to discern if she was messing with me but I saw no hints of banter on her demeanor… _Could she be telling the truth? How could that be possible?_

"But that's…that's impossible" I stated firmly

"I happen to have _plenty_ of time" A slight smile peered on her lips. Two options…or she was a very fast reader, or she was older than she appeared. I remembered Nicky telling me the story about how she had found her on the woods and helped to raise her; at that moment I thought the exact same thing… _But she seems so young…_

"How old are you?" I dared to ask, without measuring my words, fearing that maybe it was an improper thing to ask, but she did not seem to be offended by my question, on the contrary, her smile widened and her eyes shone with mischief

"How old do you think I am?" By her playful tone and her half smile, I knew it was a tricky question

I tried to make a mental estimate looking around… _How much time did it take her to read so many books?_ "I have no idea…" I honestly said after thinking about it deeply

"Well… let's say that I've been around for some centuries" She was watching me closely, to assess my reaction. Far from frightening me, I found that extremely enthralling, still, the fact stunned me and I could not muster a single word "Technically, I'm immortal" She explained to fill the silence… _Immortal…_ I remembered clearly when Larry stuck his sword in her back, but I had thought that her resilience to that kind of injuries was due to her magical powers, not to that she was immortal…my simple mind couldn't grasp the concept of immortality

"Wow" I breathed out after some seconds of deep thinking "That's…amazing"

"Amazing?" I could tell she was not expecting for me to take it so well

"I can only imagine the wonderful things you must have seen throughout you life…" I was amazed by the prospect of holding immortality "It must be great to have witnessed so many facts that ordinary people can only imagine poorly through books…"

"One would think so…but trust me, the reality is very far from _amazing_ " She said with endless somberness

"Why?"

"Immortality assures you a life full of solitude; people around you fading away while you stay behind…Years, decades, centuries of dullness and sameness…" I had not thought about it like that "The small and great pleasures in life only mean something when you enjoy them only because you don't know when it will be the last time you would…eternity takes that away, which is the simplest reason of life… _this_ is not life" She expressed with vast unhappiness

"I'm so sorry…" I lamented my big mouth and felt her sadness deeply in my soul

"Don't be…I'm more than used to it" she smiled but her eyes remained filled with melancholy. Our conversation had opened in me great curiosity about her life, but I thought maybe it was not a good idea to keep asking her things that would make her unhappy…However, it was not necessary to find another topic of conversation because suddenly she expressed that she had to go.

Unfortunately, the moments I shared with her always seemed too brief. She could not escape her responsibilities for too long and I found myself longing for her company each time she was gone more than anything in the world. The more time I spent with her, the more mysterious and fascinating she became; I wanted to know everything about her. Our walks each day became longer; she claimed that they were necessary for my recovery, but I came to dream that the reason was that she enjoyed my company, as much as I was beginning to enjoy hers. One morning she had been trying to explain to me what her purpose was in this life, while we took a short walk outside the castle "So…you are like…the _administrator_ of evil" She laughed unreservedly with my poor summary. I watched her enthralled; her laughter, just like our walks, had also become essential for my well-being

"That's an _interesting_ way to put it into few words" she appreciated my effort to understand

"But…how does that work?…why do you have that power? And when did all start?" I blurted all those questions at once making her laugh softly

"Slow it down! Those are a lot of questions" She complained and I smiled at her apologetically "I honestly don't know the origin of my power…I only know that, when I became the Warden, it felt… _natural_ …As if I had been born for it" She _became_ the warden…that caught my attention

"You _became_ the Warden?" Was there a moment in her life before she was the warden?

"I have not always been like this…I was a human before becoming _this…_ " I wanted to ask her all about her previous life but she changed the subject abruptly, so I assumed it was not something she liked to talk about "I guess my main purpose is to maintain the balance in the world…"

"The balance?" I asked intrigued, never losing a single facial gesture of her

"You know…between good and evil" She rolled her eyes comically "If evil had loose reins, the world would be a chaos…although lately it seems that the balance has been inclined in favor of it" She said reflecting on the subject with worry

"What do you mean?" I was concerned

"In the recent years, I've noticed my power getting stronger…and the Shadow Lands boundaries growing into pristine lands…the darkness had never been so vast" Her words made me chill "That can only be the result of the growing evil that hangs over the world…" As I understood by her words…she became stronger the more evil in the world

"But…Isn't that good for you?" I asked

"I don't think that's good for anyone" she said acidly

"And…what about the favors and deals…" I felt her tense by my side. I kept my right hand hooked firmly on the crook of her left arm

"What about them?" Her voice was strained. Maybe the subject was uncomfortable for her because I had made a deal with her…I kept my voice lighthearted to let her know that if I had no problems talking about it she shouldn't either…

"What do they have to do with maintaining _the balance_?" She sighed looking for words

"Usually, all those who turn to my services are basically good people, and they do it in moments of despair" Yes, I knew that very well "Desperate circumstances can lead you to make terrible decisions…you have no idea of what a desperate person is capable of doing or the damage they can cause under those situations" Her words triggered memories of my attempt to escape but surely that was not her intention…she went on "In moments like that, their conscience betrays them, because in the end, they are not able to do what needs to be done. Your father for example…" The mention of my father took me aback "He would have had a great chance of winning the war without me…"

"How do you know that?" _Could she see the future too?_

"Anyone with minimal war knowledge would know…he knew it deep in his heart; but the human cost would have been too high…and even so, in war there's always an unpredictable factor… _luck._ Your father did not want to take the risk, and, in a desperate act, he turned to me. His kindness did not allow him to save himself at the expense of the lives of his people. If he had been an unscrupulous King, he would not have minded about their lives" How many things had I just learned "That's why bad people never request my services, they have no moral limits, they will do whatever is necessary to get what they want…of course, sooner or later they pay for their acts…But after all, good people must also pay, and with more reason; _dark_ magic is not something I can give away for free; fulfilling a wish can be quite costly"

"You said _dark_ magic" I felt impolite asking so many questions, but I did not care, she seemed more than happy to answer all of them "What does that mean?"

"My magic is _dark,_ only meant for _bad_ things, so to speak; that's why no one can benefit from it and get away with it…" Those words made me think so deeply that I had to stop walking

"But my wish…It was not a _bad_ thing" How could she suggest that saving my people was not a good thing?

"For whom?" she faced me and asked with curiosity

"For my people!" I answered aggravated as if it was a very obvious reason

"Indeed, it was a marvelous cause for your people…but I bet your enemy thinks it was a terrible one" She said ironically "Well…not that they can think that anymore because they are all dead" She corrected mordantly and I totally grasped her point. Reality hit me hard, like a bucket of cold water, I was flabbergasted "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to be so harsh" She regretted her toughness but I could only be thankful for her brutal honesty

"No…I truly appreciate your honesty, no matter how hard it is…I just, never thought about it from the enemy's point of view" She always seemed very determined to open my eyes before the world, never dimming the truth for my sake. Our conversations always made me realize how isolated my family had kept me from the real world my entire life; I did not know anything about life

"Two sides of the same coin" She simply said "Your real intention was not to harm the enemy but to save your people" I understood the difference "You should not blame yourself for what you did; you have the kindest heart and soul" she said gently "I think we should go back…" She offered me her arm again to resume our walk, that gesture was already quite natural

I began to believe that perhaps it would be possible for me to live peacefully in that place. That place that I had come to hate so much recently, every day became a more promising idea, but at that moment I was unable to understand that _she_ was the reason in my change of mind…

On my part, I could have continued asking her questions about her life, but then, she had a question for me…She asked me why I had given my freedom away; it was my turn to speak extensively. After my complete explanation, she threw another question at me

"So…" She began hesitantly "If I told you that you have the opportunity to go back home…would you like to?" I did not like the way she delivered the question. It did not seem a very straight forward question; I sensed it filled with uncertainty

"Why are you asking me that?" I asked guardedly

 _"_ No reason" She said, but I knew by her tone that there was something else. Dread gripped me…

"I would have to go back to a life that it's not mine…" the simple thought made me unease "I would have to marry to a man that I do not love" No, definitely going back was not an option…"Why would you take me back home?" _Was she tired of me and the problems that I had caused?_ Why else would she ask that?

"No…that's not what I meant…I thought it might be something you wanted" She poorly clarified "After all the things that had happened, I thought it would be best for you" Her troubled face indicated me that _that_ was precisely her intention, so I was right

"You don't want me here…" I wanted to ask, but I ended up by saying it as a statement

"What!? No! that's nonsense!" her words stumbled "I just want what's best for you…I…I just want you to be happy" She stared at me deeply with her clear eyes. I thought she was telling the truth, or maybe I was so desperate for _that_ to be the truth that I believed her lie…but I was not going to lie

"Well…I couldn't be happy there…" I felt my eyes moistened… _Please let me stay…_ I wanted to beg her. I had to look away ashamed for my reaction

"I don't want you out of here…" How easy it was to believe in all the words that came out of her mouth "Look at me" If I looked into her clear eyes, I knew I would be lost, but I could never miss the opportunity to see them, so I did as she said "I want you to stay…as long as you are happy" I distinguished sincerity in her eyes

"I'm happy right now" If it was true and she wanted me to stay, I could not ask for anything else in the world. Wordlessly, she again resumed our pace freeing me from the charm of her eyes. Our mutual confessions made me feel closer to her; when she offered me her arm I clung to it tightly, needing her contact more than before…We walked in silence, but it was not out of awkwardness…Only when we were about to get to her room she asked me something out of nowhere that took me aback

"So this potato boy…you never loved him?" Of all the things we had talked about, I found it weird that she brought that specific theme up again…By the time I finished answering her, we got to the room's door. I wanted to spend more time with her, but she said the words I always dreaded to hear from her "I have to go"

"Oh…" I tried not to sound too disappointed but apparently I failed "Alright"

"But I'll be back later…" She reassured me almost immediately "Take care while I'm gone" My heart stopped when her hand reached some loose strands of hair to sweep them from my face and put them behind my ear in a loving gesture

"See you later…" I barely got to say short of breath, but I made it sound as a promise

As expected, the wait was unbearable. I did everything to keep my mind busy, but the hours seemed to play against me. It was getting darker, so I assumed I might have to wait till the next day. I went to the kitchen to dine with Red, and asked her if she could send someone with water because I wanted to take a bath; my wound was already closed, so I considered I was ready to take a regular bath, very tired of cleaning my skin with a sponge and a basin. The sensation of the warm water on my skin was overwhelming and the bath became surprisingly soothing, I even got to doze at some point. I opened my eyes in alert when my head fell back…maybe it was time to get out of the tub and prepare to sleep. I got out and reached my bathrobe; once wrapped with it, I turned around to walk out of the bathroom but I came to a halt when I saw her reflection on the mirror at the entrance of the bathroom, and let out a startled gasp. My eyes met the reflection of hers…she lowered her sight and turned around to face me

"I'm sorry if I startled you…I knocked on the door and I got worried when no one answered" Her eyes were a couple of shades darker; the black of her pupils invaded almost all the green rim…my heart raced fiercely and a strange feeling seized my core… _How long had she been watching me?_

"I dozed off a couple of times" I explained barely whispering

"Shouldn't you be avoiding baths?" she scolded me lightly

"My wound is pretty well cured" I added defensively

"Let me see…" she did not wait for permission; she pulled one of the straps that tied my robe on the front undoing the feeble knot in a swift movement leaving the bathrobe loose and my whole front exposed…I held my breath. Her right hand drew aside the soft silk cloth to uncovered my left side…I was very aware of the closeness of her hand to my breast…I had to close my eyes. I felt her icy fingers tracing lightly each one of my ribs probing them with great tenderness "Uhmmm…" she hummed deeply making me open my eyes "They seem pretty good…" she said with a low voice that caused a chill along my back. I became nothing when she stared me right in the eye; I started to feel slightly dizzy and realized that I had been holding my breath, so I forced myself to take in a puff of air. She had a smile that oozed devilment that I found engaging…she closed my robe on the front and tied it ever so slightly… "Are you up for a walk tomorrow?" she asked when she finished… _What?_ My mind was deadened for the moment

"Yes…" I agreed…in my state, I would have said yes to anything

" _Good_...I'll pick you up first thing in the morning" I nodded entranced. She winked at me playfully and left…

I stood in the middle of the bathroom until I lost all the heat of my body; the cold helped me come back to my senses. I was having trouble understanding why did she make me feel that way...And why was I embarrassed about it? Nothing had happened but the sense of shame was noticeable. I got into bed but I was not able to conceive the dream…every time I thought about her fingers traveling along my ribs a warm sensation began spreading from the center of my being to the tips of my fingers and toes, making me feel too hot to sleep comfortably. I was ready before dawn, growing anxious with every minute… _Knock knock knock…_ finally someone knocked…

"Come in" my voice was unconvincing

"What an early riser!" She exclaimed with joy

"You said first thing in the morning" I justified myself

"Are you ready?" I was ready for anything, so I just nodded expectantly "Let's go then…" As always, she offered me her arm…To be honest, I did not need her support for walking anymore, but I had no reasons to reject her gesture, so I hooked her arm with my hand

"So…where are we going today?" I asked with curiosity

"You'll have to wait and see…" She said with amusement. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I had never seen her so lively…and I loved it

Once outside, we walked to a secluded area on one side of the main entrance, that one day surely housed a beautiful garden… _The roses!_ I suddenly remembered; with all that had happened and my days of convalescence, I had completely forgotten about them; _surely the seeds are all dead_ , I thought sadly, but I could always look for more seeds in the market, so it did not matter. There was a small table with a big breakfast on it…

"I thought you said we were going out for a walk" I said while she offered me to take a sit

"I do not intend to make you walk without having breakfast first…" She said slightly offended. I sat on the table. The cold morning air was refreshing…maybe too refreshing. I shivered lightly, despite my coat "You are cold…" She frowned with concern

"No…I'm not cold" I tried to diminish her worries; still, she took off her usual hooded cloak and covered me with it

"I'm sorry…I didn't think about it…" She said repentant "We can have breakfast inside"

"No!...I'm fine… _really_ " I insisted "I like this" I did not want to ruin her nice detail, but she still did not seem convinced "So…where are we going after breakfast?" I asked again, to change the subject

"I told you…you'll have to wait for it" So the breakfast had nothing to do with whatever she was planning to do. I was quite intrigued…thoughtlessly, I ate everything very quickly, really keen to find out what she was up to… "You are eating fast to leave soon, aren't you?" She was extremely insightful

"No…" I said unconvinced. She caught me in the middle of swallowing a big bite of a biscuit, which totally proved her right

"Yeah right…" She laughed "Fine…if you are so eager about it, let's go…" My eyes widened in excitement, she rolled hers exaggeratedly. She got up and took my hand to guide me…We started walking in a direction more than known to me…towards the stables

"Why are we going to the stables?" I asked suspiciously

"Arrgghhh…Could you stop guessing?" She requested annoyed "Besides…I would like to know your personal opinion about something, so we need to stop by the stables first" I had to bit my tongue to shut up until we finally got there. I could feel certain nervousness coming from her… "I'll be back in a second…stay right here" She told me and disappear behind a wooden gate. Why the mystery? When she came back, by her side was the most wonderful animal I had ever seen in my life "I sent Nicky for a new acquisition…I thought you would know if you think it was a good buy…you seem to know a lot about horses"

"She's marvelous" I got closer to the impetuous filly, taking her big head between my hands…It was white as snow and its mane was silver gray

"So…I don't have to lecture Nicky about her bad choice?"

"Well, I guess it depends on how much you paid for it" I joked, but It was a splendid mount; it did not matter how much she had paid for it, it had been for sure a good purchase…

"I don't care about that…I just want to know if _you_ like it…" She insisted

"Of course…you definitely have nothing to regret…" I reassured her. I felt certain pride that she asked for my personal opinion

"In that case…how are you going to name her?" _What?_ I turned my head around to face her, my hands still petting the horse's snout

"Why would I have to name her?" I asked carefully

"Because…she's yours…" My hands froze

"What?" I asked incredulously

"What?" She repeated smiling lovingly

"Are you…are you serious?" I found it hard to find my voice

"I think I already told you once…I'm always serious" Her smile got broader as never. That was too much…I could not accept such a thing from her…I was not sure if I deserved it after all "What's wrong?" She dropped her smile and replaced it with a somber face

"I…I don't think I can accept it…" I said and hated her face of disappointment

"Why not?" She frowned and stared deeply at me

"I don't deserve this from you…" _why was she so good to me?_ My vision blurred with the small pool of tears that were beginning to grow in my eyes

"How could you possibly say something like that?" she was aghast by my words

"Because…" I could not hold back the tears "I…after having thought the worst of you" I had to lower my face, not wanting to see her sad expression

"Hey…" She took my face between her chilly hands; the distinction of her cold with my warm tears was overwhelming. She forced me gently to raise my gaze again, wrapping me up with the charm of her eyes… "Don't ever say that again" she said with severity "I thought we had agreed to leave the past behind…besides…you deserve everything I can give you and more…" The space between us seemed so vast to me in that moment, and, on an impulse charged with audacity, I wrapped her strongly with my arms and buried my face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her lavender essence…my sudden bold gesture seemed to surprise her tremendously; I felt her completely still for a few seconds to then, ever so slowly circling my waist with her firm hands, making me feel complete…

"Thank you" I moved my head slightly to whisper in her ear. I've never felt so grateful

"You are welcome…" She replied. Our bodies lazily came out of the momentary lethargy of our embrace, as if refusing to part from each other… "If I would have known that I would make you cry, I would have not given you the surprise…" She said teasingly, delivering every word very close to my face…

"I'm sorry" I laughed halfheartedly, regretting my behavior

With a swift movement of her thumbs, she wiped my tears from my cheeks "So…any ideas of how are you going to call her?"

" _Charm_ " Her eyes were my inspiration…

"That's a lovely name"

"Will you take me for a ride?" I asked with grand enthusiasm

"Are you out of your mind?!" Why has she given me a horse as a gift if it was not to ride it? "It would be something quite reckless to do…I don't know if your ribs are ready for riding…"

"I did not mean _now…_ " she calmed down immediately "I meant… _someday_ …" she looked at me with apology for jumping to sudden conclusions

"It would be my pleasure…once you are fully recovered, it will be the first thing we'll do" It sounded like such a promising plan…I felt much better already; I hardly felt discomfort...but of course, I would have to wait for that day to come, I was not ready to ride.

She accompanied me back to the castle, as always, she had duties she could not avoid, and as always, she said goodbye with her usual words _I'll see you later_ …I decided to go to the kitchen. Once there I remembered the roses again. I knew it would be pointless to see the pots where I had planted the seeds; still, I went out into the backyard of the kitchen and approached my plantations…My eyes could not believe what they saw… I examined with great attention the great specimen that stood straight and strong; a beautiful rose fully grown _How could it be possible?_ I wondered…The time had not been long enough for the rose to reach that size and moreover, I had not taken care of them practically since the day I planted the seeds. The girl from the market, Lorna, was right to recommend those flowers to me. I was ecstatic. I ran to the kitchen to get some scissors and a glass with water; I wanted to give _her_ that rose. I took the rose very carefully to her room, and waited patiently for her arrival. Shortly after lunch, she was back…

"Close your eyes!" I said as soon as she opened the door

"What?" My tone surprised her and she did not dare to enter the room "Is something wrong?"

"No…" I laughed cheerfully… "Just…walk in but keep your eyes closed"

"Alright" She agreed cautiously. When she walked a few steps into the room, I told her to stop "What the hell are you up to?" She asked with a hint of enjoyment

"You are not the only one who can give surprises" I walked towards her and held the rose right in front of her eyes "Now…open your eyes" and she did as I said. Her face as expected was one of puzzlement

"What is that?" she warily asked

"It's a rose…" I said with a silly tone, as if she needed an explanation

"Yeah…I know _that_ I meant…where did you get it from? It's not market day" Her alarmed tone was not the reaction I was hoping to get out of her, but maybe she could not understand where the rose came from

"I got some seeds last time…I planted them and today…I found _this!_ " I said excited, trying to get her as eager as I was

"But that's…that's impossible" Her voice was ghostly and her eyes remained fixed on the rose with an expression I could not understand…Anyone would say that the rose was about to attack her

"I know! Nicky told me about it…she told me it would be impossible _because nothing grows on these lands_ and _because there's no light…_ " I made a poor imitation of Nicky's voice "But I told her that I was very good at gardening…the truth, I had my doubts but I wanted to try anyway…and honestly I was not expecting to find this today after having neglected them for so many days…" I rambled on but stopped because I noticed that she did not seem to be listening to me… "Lady Vause?" Her eyes moved at once from the rose to mine at the mention of her name. Something on her face scared me to the core…she remained expressionless "Are you alright?"

"Yes… I just remembered that I have to go…" Her voice was bleak

"But you just arrived…" I could not get to say because she was already gone. She did not even tell me if we would see each other later…I stared at the rose still held in my hand _What the hell just happened?_ It was just a rose…Nevertheless, I could not help but think that it was the responsible for eliciting such strange behavior on her… _Why?..._ I would ask her as soon as she was back, but she did not come back _that_ day…nor the next one...

 **P.S.:** Aren't you excited to know what will happen in the next chapter? I'm excited to let you know! :D...See you next week! A big hug!


	20. Chapter 20

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Heyyyy! Here it is...sooner than I expected...SURPRISEEE! I really was not expecting to be able to update so soon! It has been a surprise even for me! Don't waste your time reading my nonsense. I hope this chapter meets your expectations; a lot of things are about to happen so go and read! I'll see you on the comments section ;)

* * *

 **CHAPTER XX (Alex's POV)**

That rose meant my death sentence… _She_ was what I had been dreading for so many years… _The light will come to you in the most unsuspected way, and for when you know it you will not be able to stop her… You are doomed to let her in and it will be the end of darkness as we know it…_ Those had been the words and only now they had made sense…now it _all_ made sense…what I _felt_ for _her_ made sense. How had I not noticed before? _Because she had dazzled me, like the light to a moth…I could not see beyond her._ Since her arrival, my mind had been so absorbed by her that not even the words of the witch seemed to hunt me down anymore…

Her own words were the responsible of opening my eyes…She revealed them to me as an epiphany "I know! Nicky told me about it…she told me it would be impossible _because nothing grows on these lands_ and _because there's no light…_ " _Because there's no light…She is the light…_ I felt as if I was about to faint, like that was possible… "Lady Vause?" Her voice brought me to the present. I looked at her appalled…How could someone so innocent be the reason of my doom? What kind of power did she hold that was so strong as to end with darkness? "Are you alright?" _If you only knew…_

"Yes…I just remembered that I have to go…" I had to get out of there…I had to stay away from her, and there was a place I never thought I would go back to, but I felt the urge to visit in that moment

That time, I did not need any kind of guide nor torches. The first and last time that I had been there was decades ago, still, I knew she would be there… _We will definitely meet again your ladyship…_ I could not doubt her words after all. I registered the characteristic sour smell in the air and stopped breathing the heavy air in disgust. This time her voice did not take me by surprise…

"I'm a little surprised that it took you so long to realize…" She began ironically "A being as wise as you…"

"It would have been easier if you had given me a hint" I answered bitterly

"I gave you more than a hint! I told you!" She exclaimed as if my words had hurt her reputation

"No you didn't! You said _the light will come to you in the most UNSUSPECTED way!_...I would have liked to know that it was a woman… _That specific woman_ " Why? Why her?...I kept thinking in my head with dread

"I remember that after _that_ I said… _for when you know it you will not be able to stop HER! You are doomed to let HER in and it will be the end of darkness as we know it…"_ She recited, as if I needed to be reminded of those words…

"Then you knew it?" I should have known that the witch was better than me with the hidden meaning of words

"The princess of the High Lands and The Warden of the Dark…who would have say it!" she said cheerfully, as if my misfortune was a cause for celebration

"Scheming witch!" I said with my jaw clenched

"I'm not the one to blame…you were so worried to learn _when_ it would happen that you forgot to ask me the most important thing… _How_ " Dammit! She was right…

"And what am I supposed to do now?" I asked her hopeless

"I don't think there's much you can do…" I sensed a hint of vacillation

"What are you not telling me?" I hissed at her menacingly

"There's… _something_ …" she said casually "But it doesn't matter that you know it because you won't be able to carry it out…" She warned me

"Let me be the one who decides that…" There was _nothing_ that I could not do…

"Well…You can always _rip_ the problem from its _root_ …" I did not like her suggestion

"You'll have to be a little more specific…" I knew what would come from her mouth

"Kill her…" The ease with which she said it infuriated me…as if _she_ was worthless

"That's not an option!" My voice boomed in every recess of the cave. Maybe there was only one _thing_ I couldn't do after all…

"I don't know what else you want me to say! You only have two options!…to quench the cause of your weakness or to surrender…to kill or be killed…" Those options were not encouraging at all "Anyway…I already told you that you won't be able to kill her…It's too late for that"

"Too late?"

"You already let her in…almost from day one" _Had I?_ I tried to think of the exact moment it had happened, but I couldn't put a finger on it "Your end is _imminent,_ unless you end her; and apparently you've already made up your mind" _Damn witch!_ "I think you don't have any more questions…" _What else could I ask? Did I really want answers? What for? To obsess with them?_ I had nothing more to do in there; I left just as I arrived, all of a sudden

As always, when I needed to clear my mind, I wandered through the maze of trees. In there, I always seemed sure of which way to go and doubts did not cloud my judgement. I thought and thought endlessly…to kill or be killed…a big dilemma. _Was I really able to give up my existence for her?_ The selfish and measly creature within me was not… _Was I really capable of killing her?_ I knew _I_ was not, but again, the creature did not hesitate for a second… _You must rip her heart…_ so long without listening to that dratted voice… _I already told you…I knew she would cause trouble_ "Shut up!" _She will kill us both…if you don't do it, I will…_ "HA! You have not been able to control me for a long time…" _I'll always be lurking Alex…waiting for the perfect moment_ "Fuck you!" I came to a halt in the middle of the ghostly trees, and waited for a reply…but it was gone. I could not let it play with my head. It could not control me as it used to do before, at the beginning of my existence; with the years I had learned to differentiate it from _me…_ and little by little, my being prevailed, although tinted by darkness, _forever_

I kept walking for endless hours. My first wish was to go back home…I wanted to see her, but I did not know if I was ready for that… _to quench the cause of my weakness or to surrender…_ In that moment, I feared more to an eternal life without her than to my own death, and on second thought, to surrender to her did not seem so serious, besides, _Had I not surrender to her already?_ I would swear I had…There was no point in denying it anymore, I was already sentenced, nothing I did could stop it, the only thing I could do from then on, was to give myself to her...In that moment, I just felt a great desire to see her; I decided it was time to go home and face _her_

I realized that I had been out for two days. It was late at night; she would surely be asleep…I approached the door of my old room and opened it slightly. I noticed the glow of some candles, so I guessed she was still awake. I dared to enter, fearing the words I would have to tell her for leaving her like I did…She was lying in bed with an open book lazily placed on her chest, the beating of her heart clearly indicated that she was out; apparently she had fallen asleep while reading _And with the burning candles!_ I thought with anger at such carelessness. I approached her side of the bed to blow the candles off, but before, I allowed myself a moment to see her…I realized that I had missed her so much…I removed very carefully the book from her chest that was held lightly with her hands. The loss of it made her stir a little, but she remained asleep. Without thinking, I sat on the edge of the bed and enjoyed her presence, even when she was unaware of mine. Somehow, she was able to perceive my eyes on her, because she opened her blue lagoons abruptly, startling us both…me, for being caught watching her while she was sleeping and she, because I had understood that it was normal to be startled if someone stalked you while you sleep…

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" I clarified…She lifted her upper body, to sit on the bed…

"Lady Vause…" She said sleepily "What are you doing here?"

"You left the candles burning…I walked in to turn them off…" She looked at the bedside table

"But they are still burning" _Yeah, I deviated from my main purpose to watch you while you slept_ …That was not an appropriate explanation…

"Yeah, and by the way…you should not sleep with the candles burning…it's extremely dangerous!" I reproached her to stay away from sharing my shameful truth

"I did not mean to fall asleep…I was trying to stay awake as much as I could…" She excused herself, slightly embarrassed, which made me ask her…

"Why would you do that?"

"I was…waiting for you" She admitted, lowering her sight to her lap

"Why were you waiting for me?" I asked her very tender

"I was worried about you…" I thought it was so sweet for her to be worried about me

"Worried about me?" Besides, no one had ever given me those words

"You left so abruptly…I assumed that something was wrong" Only then I imagined what she would have thought with my reaction "I'm sorry" She said ever so softly

"Why are you sorry?" Her apology puzzled me

"I thought you would like my surprise…" Again, I wanted to kick myself… "Like that time, when I brought you the same roses from the market...you said you liked them" Of course she thought it was her fault… _Why could I not stop disappointing her?_

"No…it was not _that…"_ I tried to sound very convincing, the flowers were the least of my problems, rather, the problem lay in the person who gave me the flowers... _"_ I…I _loved_ your surprise…In fact…I want you to plant those beautiful yellow roses all over the castle…" slowly she looked up with a gesture of disbelief…

"Then why did you leave like that?" I had no answer…I could not tell her the truth, she did not have to shoulder the guilt of my fatality. I was lost…I did not have any reason to justify my reaction "I know it has to do with the rose I gave you…" Obviously, she was not stupid. Under her scrutinizing eyes, I had never felt more troubled… "What's wrong?" She asked with great concern…

"Nothing..." I barely got to say

"Maybe if you tell me about it I can help you" I smiled sadly at her for her suggestion

"No, you can't" _You can't help me because you are the cause of the problem_

"You shouldn't underestimate me you know?..." She had thought that my refusal to accept her help was because I believed that she was uncapable of helping me...I laughed half-heartedly

"Trust me...I'm not underestimating you, is the last thing I would do..." She noticed my internal struggle and tried to appease my anguish placing ever so fondly her right hand on my cheek

"Then let me help you...and tell me what's wrong..." Her words and the contact of her hand on my skin only brought more chaos to what was happening inside me... _You are wrong…Everything is wrong...I want you…but you are my end…How much time will I have? How much time will we have?...I don't want to waste a single second...If I kiss you, will I scare you? Please don't be scared…I'm so scared…_ "Lady Vause?" The worry in her face grew deeper…and then I embraced my fate…

"I surrender…" She looked at me perplexed, but I gave her no time to wonder about my words

I leaned my body towards her and drew my hand to her cheek…my thumb came to rest on her lips and pulled very slightly her lower edge, forcing them to part. I felt the heat of her breath emanating from her mouth, luring me to breathe it in. My body finished shortening the injurious distance between us and my lips resumed the tempting labor. I captured her lower lip between mine and I swear I could feel her heart on the pulse of her lips…a couple of seconds, an insignificant instant that could get lost in millions of others throughout my lengthy existence, still, I would not change it for all of them...The hand that had been on my cheek had fallen limp in her lap; I let go of her lip to measure her reaction. A noise escaped from her, a deep sigh full with embarrassment; I took in the scorching air rushing out of her, making my lungs burn crushingly; I wanted to breathe more of her, _all_ of her, but I held my cravings, I did not want to push her further. I withdrew just a little…enough to study her face, completely covered with the deepest red. Her eyes were shut; her lips remained parted and her breathing was slightly irregular… _I think at least she's not freaking out…_ I thought. I even perceived a minor advance on her part; I drew apart a little more, just to be sure and yes…she was unquestionably leaning towards me, and who was I to deny her my lips? I let her be in charge of the second collision. Her lips seemed to grope in foreign ground with the forwardness that comes from the most essential curiosity to the unknown. I accepted her pace more than delighted, my lips drawn in a smile before her evident will…after a few more pecks, I couldn't hold it…I began to kiss her with keenness, ironically, as if my life depended on it. From the depths of her throat began to emerge the most fascinating sounds, a mix of moans and whimpers, always with decorum and diffidence…I felt the urge to wash away the good manners from her…

I got into bed on my knees and placed my hands made fists on both sides of her hips, supporting my weight. My position forced her down against the bed, but not completely. Her upper body was still propped up by her elbows; our lips never broke away from each other's. I gently pushed her further down pressing my lips more intensely against hers, until she was completely lying on the bed. I was on top, careful not to put my whole weight on her. When her head fell on the pillow, a fierce gasp escaped from her mouth breathlessly. I considered giving her a few seconds of respite, very against my wishes, for her sake. Again, I put some distance between us, propping myself up with my elbows. She opened her eyes in bewilderment; they seemed beautifully drowsy, her lids heavy with… _desire?_ I took a few seconds to assess her state, looking for a hint of fear…but her labored breathing and her heavenly flush told me that her face was one of lust. Without words, I decided to resume our kissing. I wanted to go deeper so I traced the edge of her lips with the tip of my tongue; in an innate reflex, she parted her lips, unconsciously inviting me in, and so I did. My tongue was welcomed by the humid heat of her mouth. I moaned deeply into her, overwhelmed by the feeling. Again, my desire went in crescendo. I explored every space in her mouth and I had plenty of time to familiarize myself with her tongue. It seemed dormant at first, out of inexperience, but little by little it came to life deliciously…I noticed her sounds of contentment becoming more audacious as the kiss lengthened, encouraging me to move on. I positioned myself a little to my left, lying on my side, giving freedom of movement to my right hand. I reached the edge of her nightgown, under the sheets that were still entangled in her body and ever so slowly I pulled it up until it got stuck at her ribs…I was careful fearing to hurt her bruised ribs…I broke our kiss and sighed against her lips…

"Let me take this off of you…" more than a suggestion, it was a desperate prayer. My hands and lips could not wait anymore without wandering along the rest of her body. She agreed to it wordlessly…she lifted her arms above her head, giving me freedom to strip her of the nightgown…in a fluid movement I removed the garment from her, tossing it out of the bed … _Fuuuuck!_ I mentally complained as soon as I noticed that her sleeping attire consisted of more than just the nightgown… _Who the hell sleeps with a corset?_ That would take me another good time…after my disappointment I decided there was no time to lose, I pressed my lips against hers and my fumble hand started the arduous job and undid the main loop… _Am I shaking?..._ I pulled the strings progressively, loop by loop…the closer I got to the outcome, the more anxious I became…halfway, I began to untied the insulting garment unceremoniously causing her gasp lightly with every pull…until the final loop…I freed her chest from that dreadful piece of clothing. I felt the need to contemplate her in her entire splendor…I withdrew from her lips to look down on her, and there they were, half hidden in the remains of the untied corset…My insides growled madly at the sight and my hand ended up uncovering her small bosoms to the chill air of the night. My mouth watered in anticipation for what would come. Her rosy peaks were begging for an unfamiliar attention, surely, they had never been touched nor tasted as I was about to do. The thought aroused me blissfully…her tips rose and fell with the rhythm of her breathing. My lips thoughtlessly took the circular shape of her nipple, ready to assault the summit of her right breast

"Lady Vause..." Her trembling voice stopped me from doing so. I turned my eyes to hers and saw uncertainty in them

"What is it?" I encouraged her to go on…I felt a knot in my stomach, fearing her words… _Don't make me stop…please don't make me stop_

"Is it…" She turned red like a tomato…redder than she already was "Is it going to hurt?" I felt an immediate relief…She was only worried about _that_ …Why would she think that anyway? _Is that what they have told her?_

I smiled infinitely into her eyes before answering "No…It's not going to hurt, I promise…" I caressed her hair lovingly and her eyes smoldered a little their worried state "I could never hurt you…not even in a million years" I thought that maybe I had been a little brusque with her, especially when I almost lost my patience with her corset. I considered going a little slower from then on…I kissed her again, but not so urgently as before, wanting to show her with every gesture that the last thing on my mind was causing her harm. She calmed down in my mouth while my hand carefully stroked her injured side causing small tremors in her…I caressed the way down to her waist and came to her abdomen to begin the way up to her breasts …I lingered around them, giving her feather touches with the tip of my playful fingers, avoiding the hardened nubs that topped her humble but outstanding mounds; she became restless under my touch. She sank her head back, deeper into the pillow lifting her chest, responding to my touch deliberately, looking for more contact. I seized the opportunity of her exposed neck and I sank my face into the crook that merged her shoulder to her neck…her skin burned my lips; she could not be hotter despite my cold comfort. I kissed and licked every region of her neck, to soothe the heat of her skin. My efforts were in vain because the heat only intensified…perhaps it was time to move on, I did not want her to wait too long… _I did not want to wait too long_ …I settled over her to reach her chest comfortably, leaving my face humbly at its glorious height. I claimed the center of it with a wet kiss. I left my lips for a moment there, to feel the overpowering beating of her heart… _She's so pure…_ And she was about to be mine…I peppered her chest with kisses desperately to get to her buds and taste them in my mouth…The chosen one was her left one, closest to her heart. The tip stood up proudly and probably, painfully; without further delay, I caught it with great care between my moistened lips and wrapped it lusciously with my tongue…she let out a labored gasp; she still seemed reluctant to release the sounds of pleasure blatantly… _Never mind…she will…_ I thought smiling while my tongue gave no respite to her nipple, determined to make her moan unreservedly. I could not forget the unattended neighbor…I caressed it with the pad of my thumb, previously wetted with my mouth…I circled the darker rim, putting more pressure progressively until I pinched it slightly between my thumb and middle finger at the same time that I sucked heavily the one in my mouth…not enough to cause her pain, as she only released a round of dreamy whimpers _I want more…I want all of her…_ It was time to explore the south of her body. I kissed her breasts goodbye, allowing me a last taste of them, at least for the moment, and passionately kissed the way down, to the edge of her breeches. I tossed aside the rest of the sheets that still covered her legs and rose on my knees to observe her whole. My fingers hooked around the waistband of her breeches, my eyes never left hers. I started to uncover her heavenly mound, very slowly. The blush on her cheeks was quite distinguishable under the dim light of the almost extinct candles. I looked down at her freshly exposed part and I had to contain the guttural sound that was beginning to set in the depths of my being. I stripped her of the last piece of clothing, leaving her immaculately naked and repositioned myself, posing my right knee between hers. Her beauty stunned me in that instant, as nothing had ever done it before. Her golden hair lay scattered all over the pillow…her blue eyes sparkling with the candlelight and her sweet lips still parted, trying to keep the breathing constant. Her arms were inert on both sides, and at the end of them, her hands clinging to the sheets with great fierceness... _Perhaps she's a goddess after all, a goddess with the sole aim of destroying me_. I couldn't care less about it; my appetite was so big that I had to remind myself to stay under control… _Easy Alex, take her easy…_ My eyes returned to the heaven of her blue eyes and my hands began to caress her thighs…

"You are so beautiful…" My voice came raw with lustful desire; too low…I thought I better not talk because I could only scare her…my fingers hooked behind her knees to bend her legs by them. I kissed the top of her knees with tenderness before bowing towards such divinity, settling between her legs. I slid my arms under her thighs; my left hand perched on the center of her stomach, wanting to provide her with some support, or maybe I was the one who needed her support…my right arm wrapped itself around her hip and my mouth sought consolation in her womb, right above the thicket of curly hair…she was trembling with every touch…I went down on her, nuzzling her soft patch of hair. She did not emit any sound, and it worried me…but I did notice her legs falling slightly apart leaving her center willingly exposed mouth-wateringly to my fairest view. I breathed her in…filling my lungs with her rawest essence. Distant memories of the summer came to my mind in that moment, memories of when I lived, the sweet smell of ripe peaches, the smell of the sea…I had to close my eyes by the overwhelming sensation that was beginning to fill the void in me. I kissed the softest skin, where the insides of her thighs joined the center of her being…I felt her fingers curling around the hand I had left on her chest…I gave her a reassuring squeeze before indulging my tongue with a lengthy and broad lick to her innermost part…she wheezed heavily and I...I was scorched by the sun. I ran my tongue once more along her slit gathering her bounteous moisture, her hips rose with spasms when the tip stroked her hooded bud _unintentionally_ …so responsive... _It's enough…_ I encircled the little bulge protectively with my lips and sucked it ever so softly making her quiver incessantly...I sucked and kissed, sucked and kissed, and then my tongue took control over it, flicking it at different speeds… _How many things I want to do to her…_ I thought greedily pressing more and more intensely her highest sensitivity…Unfortunately, there mas not time for more; her breathing increased to its limit and I knew she was closer to the denouement…She tensed for an infinite second, like the rope of an arc about to release an arrow; I felt her nails digging in the flesh of my arm…she let out a releasing sound that I stored deeply in my mind; a hushed moan, combined with small spasmodic whimpers. I wrapped her throbing bud around my lips to feel her pulse…I kissed her in there lovingly waiting for the tremors to stop, drinking everything that came out of her…bit by bit, her body stabilized, except for her breathing...I've never been so proud of causing such a response in a woman...

I lay there in my new haven, between her legs, completely stupefied, unable to move. A crushing feeling began to oppress me; I felt my chest about to explode as if I could not contain everything I felt for her at that moment. I opened my eyes trying to recover from my state, but it was a terrible idea; I could not see anything… only a blinding light. I closed my eyes again and feared that my end was near… _Maybe this is it, maybe this is the end of darkness…_ It seemed to me a poetic death…either way, it was a beautiful way of being doomed. If that instant with _her_ brought me death, so be it, I had nothing to fear anymore; because _only_ in that instant out of my vast existence, only when I _kissed_ her, when I _touched_ her, when I _breathed_ her in, when I _drank_ from her…only then, _I lived_

* * *

 **P.S.:** I know right? You were totally not expecting this XD...Some of you will even think that it happened too fast...but I think that for Alex it was an "All in" situation, _all or nothing_ , that's why I wrote it that way, in fact, I was not planning for it to turn out like this, it was supposed to be _only_ their first kiss...not their first _ALL hahaha..._ but when I was writting it, it made sense for Alex. I was a little worried about this chapter, It's my first time writing such scenes, so I hope it was not a dissapointment... :/ Aren't you worried about Alex's future? Aren't you dying to know what went through Piper's head throughout the whole thing? And what will happen from now on between them? All those questions are about to be answered...

LAM-UP: I hope you have had time to read the new chapter before leaving...See you soon!

Sahny: You totally got it right with your guess! XD

Jp: Your dream about the earlier update apparently came true ;)

Everybody: Thank you so much for reading...see you in the comments, luv ya all!


	21. Chapter 21

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Here it is! As you can see...I'm always trying really hard to update two chapters per week, but lately I've been so consumed at work that I had to use my chapters in stock XD, but hopefully this week I'll have more time to recover my previous rhythm...go and read and as usual, I see you in the comment section ;)

 **CHAPTER XXI (Piper's POV)**

My sensations grew exquisitely with each one of her touches…when she found herself so close to my intimacy my heart had never beaten so hard. For a moment I thought I could not stand the intensity of the feeling anymore, of course, in that moment I did not know that I had not yet reached the epitome of the feeling. When it came to me, a wave dragged away all my senses and thoughts and I became a plain sack of flesh and bones, then I truly feared for my heart…how fast could it go? Would it stop at some point? Gradually, the senses came back to me, but only partially, as that night I had lost a large part fo them. The first thing I was aware of was her cold. My hands were welded around her arm. I was thankful for having been able to hold on to something; the icy feeling of her skin made me stay sane. My fingers were stiff, so I had to force them painfully to release the pillar of my sanity. Apparently, she was less willing to move than I. Seconds passed, maybe minutes, an eternity...and she stayed there. What was I supposed to do? What was supposed to happen now? I found my voice to ask with vacillation…

"Lady Vause?" Her body seemed to respond to my voice. I propped myself a little up with my elbows and looked down for the first time; the image was beyond my imagination. Her black hair scattered across my belly, forming a dense curtain that prevented me from elucidating her face. My heart skipped several beats and I again buried my head back in the pillow, fixing my eyes on the ceiling of the bed. But she was beginning to react. She withdrew her arm from my chest…her breathing felt laborious and sharp, it almost sounded as a deep roar, and extremely wintry in the heat of my core. Her other arm disentangled its strong grip around my hip, the blood flowed freely again along my leg; every little movement seemed to cost her a lot of effort; that worried me…was she alright? She began to crawl up my body, drawing the way up with her wet mouth across my abdomen. I could almost hear the sizzling sound of her cold lips and tongue against my skin. She stopped on my chest and collapsed on me, her dark locks of hair caused me a tickling sensation. There, she lay her right ear just where my heart was…she listened to it for a considerable time. Again, her stillness worried me...

"Alex…?" I whispered her name, and it came so familiar to my mouth that only after I said it, I realized my mistake. In my dreams I always called her by her name…in the reality it was the first time I called her by _Alex…_ she lifted her face leisurely and finished climbing to my height. Her eyes were dark, like that time in the woods "I'm sorry…Lady Vause" I corrected, a little intimidated by her wild gaze...

"No…" She barely said "I like Alex…" The clear green in her eyes were nowhere to be found, but I could sense a tender gesture on her face and her words "You can call me Alex" she leaned in and kissed me with a gentle force; that kiss felt much more powerful than the many and much more elaborated previous ones. A shiver rang along my back…anything could have caused it; maybe it was the kiss itself, maybe it was the feeling of her body pressed hardly against mine, the contrast of the rough fabric of her clothes against my soft skin, or maybe I was beginning to get cold…it was not surprising, I was completely naked and her body devoid of heat was my only shelter. She noticed my shudder, and she was the one to decide that it was the cold after all. Her right hand fumbled for the sheets and brought them to me. She repositioned herself so that her body was not anymore on top of me and wrapped me devotedly with the sheets. She leaned toward me once more to kiss my eyelids and finally my forehead, to whisper with her lips against it…

"Goodnight…" and left…depriving me of the coldness of her body…

When she left, I felt as if I had awakened from a dream…her sudden departure caused a strange sensation in my chest and the desire to cry seized my soul. I sat on the bed, holding the sheets tightly against my chest. I wondered why she had left me after what had happened…I had just given myself to her, in my entirety, and she… _she just said goodnight and left…_ My eyes rapidly filled with tears, and the warmth in my cheeks could only be out of _shame_ …I looked around and saw my undergarments scattered all over. To my right, my nightgown lay messily on the floor; to my left, on the bed, I found the remains of my corset and at the foot of the bed, my breeches…everything was _scattered_ , just as my honor. How had I allowed that to happen? How had I allowed her to dishonor me in that way? _A little late to realize it Piper_ …I felt immoral, _used_.

My lame excuse was...I could not avoid _her_ …when she pressed her lips against my lower lip, I did not think about the immorality of that act. I just thought _How exquisite her lips feel over mine_ , and inadvertently, I wanted more. I had only kissed one man in my life… _Larry,_ although I never was the one that propitiated those kisses; several times I had been taken by surprise with small stolen pecks, and only once he had tried to kiss me with greater impetus, when he wanted a goodbye kiss believing that we were all going to die; but none of his kisses had left me wanting _more_ …Definitely, kissing _her_ was nothing like kissing _him_ …as soon as I stopped feeling the cold of her lips, I knew I had to feel them again. I did not know very well what I was doing, but when I fumbled forward for her lips, I did not have much to think about. It was as if my lips belonged to hers by right. Her mouth was gentle at first, but suddenly she moved to a more quickly pace. _Is just a kiss Piper…just a kiss…_ I fooled my mind to think that a kiss meant nothing, that a kiss was not _that wrong_ , so I let her. When she towered me and I found myself thoroughly lying on the bed, I thought that maybe it was time to stop…I took a big breath of air trying desperately to clear my mind, but when I opened my eyes, I could not think of a reason to stop. Her eyes were the one to blame for my pitiable willpower; the exact moment I saw myself lost, was when she ran her tongue over my lips…I wanted to feel her inside, so I blatantly allowed her to enter at her leisure; when she did, she made a sound that should be banned, provoking a surge of blazing fire inside me. Her tongue was long and soft like velvet…I was amazed by it. I tried to imitate her movements; my tongue was very keen to learn … _Still, we are just kissing, right?_ …but I felt her hand maunder under the sheets, pulling my nightgown up to my ribs.

"Let me take this off of you…" I took those words as a command, my body completely willing to obey every one of her demands, and completely resolved to ignore mine…in the blink of an eye, I saw myself stripped of my gown. It seemed scandalous to me that the fabric of the corset was the only thing that separated my nakedness from her body, but not for much longer. I felt her fingers tugging at the laces that tied the corset on my front with anxiety… _She's removing my corset as well...why am I letting her to do so?…_ Suddenly, I felt the cold air of the room in my bare chest. She stared at my breasts and my breathing could not be more rugged. I had never been so frightened in my entire life, but I coulnd't move, as if I was tied down by invisible threads. Terrible thoughts came to my mind; the words my governess taught me about about what a man did to a woman when they were in bed, about having to endure stoically whatever it came and the pain that it entailed… _but she's not a man…What is a woman supposed to do to another woman? Will it hurt too?_ And then Sylvie's words echoed again in my mind… _No, I can't go on…_

"Lady Vause…" I was resolute to stop her

"What is it?" She stared deeply into my soul, her eyes full with tenderness... _No, I can't…_

"Is it…" I changed the direction of my words, accepting my new resolution…I did not want to stop feeling her…no matter the pain, yet I just wanted to know what to expect, so I asked anyway "Is it going to hurt?"

"No…It's not going to hurt, I promise…" Her smile intoxicated me "I could never hurt you…not even in a million years" and she kissed me adoringly proving her point. Of course she was not going to hurt me…How could I think that about her? In that instant, I ceased to be myself to become in whoever she wanted me to be; I stopped thinking and I gave in to the wonderful things she was making me feel, and suddenly I was only hers…everything happened so fast, I could hardly remember in detail what had happened thereafter, as if it were a dream and I was unable to wake up, until she left me alone dealing with the excruciating shame, all by myself

On second thought…maybe _used_ was not a proper thing to say; she did not _use_ me…what was worse…I let myself be used by her. She came in the middle of the night; she got into bed with me, stripped me of all my clothes and owned me deviously, and _I_ had allowed _her_ to do so; I had not moved a single finger to try to stop her. Yet, I could not help feeling utilized, _disposable._ After all, she had a clear advantage over me; evidently, that had not been _her_ first time. She knew perfectly what was going to happen…Had she assumed that, since I had decided to stay, she could turn me into her…into her… _slut?...Had I become that?_ I thought in horror. Maybe Sylvie had exaggerated her words to scare me, but now it was clear that there was something true in them…Was that why she had given me the horse?

I got up hastily from bed and started dressing with tears in my eyes, as if dressing could cover the loss of my good name. I collected my few belongings and wrapped them with the despoiled sheet that I pulled out from the bed…I could not stay in that room anymore. As soon as I finished, I took a candle with my free hand and walked across the castle to my old room, dragging the bundle of my things wrapped with the sheets all over the floor. I hoped fervently not to wake up anybody, and have to face unwanted questions; especially I did not want to meet _her_. I got to my room, and although the door did not provide any real protection, as it did not have a lock, I felt safer when I closed the door behind me… _And now, what is the plan Piper?_ I felt so deceived…of having known that _those_ were her real intentions, I would have considered returning home…but thinking about going home made me miserably unhappy…yes, I missed my family and my friends, but again, I would lose control of my life again, and be forced to marry Larry… _Not that I have much control over my life in here…_ I thought bitterly. Everything seemed to go so perfectly; our friendship seemed sincere, and now, everything was ruined between us…How could I be able to see her in the face again? _No, I won't!..._ I stubbornly thought. I would stay there in my room if needed, although I knew that sooner than later, she would come and get me… _What if from now on I had to keep doing those things with her?_...No, she could not force me to it…From then on all I had to do was to refuse her gifts and not to give her more reasons to think that she could use me _that_ way anymore. I went to bed, feeling extremely tired, but I could not sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, hers appeared right in front of me, haunting me. Inevitably, fragments of what had just happened flooded my mind; that did not help me fall asleep either…

Morning arrived, and I was more awake than ever…My eyes fixed on the door, sure that she would come for me…and of course, she did… _Knock knock knock…_

"Piper?" Her voice froze my blood; it was as if I had not heard her in years "Piper…can I come in?" I did not answer "Piper, I know you are in there… _Please_ , let me in" She pleaded with kindness

"I don't want you to come in!" I said, hoping to hurt her with my words

"Are you aware that a simple door can't stop me?" She said with a playful tone…

"And you always have to get what you want right? Even above the desires of the others…" I spit the words with resentment

"Alright…" I got a reply after several seconds "If that's what you want, I won't come in…but, I really need to talk to you…" she said with sadness…

"There's nothing to talk about!" I said harshly after reminding myself that I did not care about her sadness; I was the wounded one!

"On the contrary…I do believe that we have a lot to talk about…And I will not leave until you let me in" How obnoxious she could be

"Then I'll rot in here because I will never leave this room!" But when it came to stubbornness, no one could beat me…

"Fine! I'll leave then! The last thing I want is for you to rot because of me…" She said cuttingly and silence fell. After a very long moment I approached the door, with light steps not to make any noise, and bent down on my knees to look through the small gap between the bottom of the door and the floor…she was not there…I stood up and very slightly I turned the door's knob and opened the door very carefully to peered out into the hallway…

"Hunted…" Out of nowhere, she was laying a hand very casually in the door frame and a big smile plastered on her face. I startled tremendously and closed the door with exaggerated force, catching her fingers… "Arrrrghhhhh!" She growled savagely and I opened the door rapidly

"Oh my heavens!" I had hurt her…"I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry!" I cried in despair…she was bent over, and kept her hands very close to her chest… "Let me see let me see…" I reached for her injured hand with extreme care to assess the damage

"It's fine…" She did not accept the gesture and kept it more tightly against her chest. I looked into her eyes full with pain and my heart hurt

"I'm so so so sorry…really… _please_ let me see your hand" I begged almost with tears in my eyes

"It's nothing really…" She walked in and sat on the bed with a gesture of pain

"It does not look like _nothing_ …" I followed her and knelt in front of her to see the damage from close

"Don't worry about it…" She made a carefree gesture and wrapped her hand in a handkerchief that she pulled out of the back pocket of her pants. I looked up and our eyes locked

"I'm really sorry...there must be something I can do for you..." I said desperately. I had closed the door very hard...I imagined that the demage on her fingers was very serious

"It will pass...they are only a few fingers..." Her voice was pitifully "Besides...the only thing that could calm this pain would be that you allowed me to exchange some words with you..." What a terrible mistake it was to look into her eyes. It was as if I could not refuse anything she asked me if she looked at me like that. Yet, there remained in me some good sense…I turned my gaze away and got up, walking across the room, turning my back to her

"I told you there's nothing to talk about…" I crossed my arms across my chest, to keep my ground

"And I think me need to talk about what happened last night…" Of course she wanted to talk about _that_ …

"That's definitely the last thing I would like to talk about…in fact, I would like to completely forget the whole _thing_ …" _Ha! As if I could forget about that…_

"Why?" Her ghostly voice so close to me startled me

"Because!" I turned around and put some distance between us with my hand like a shield in front of me, gesturing her not to come any closer…I had to be extremely careful not to look into her eyes…If I did I was lost "I did not like the way you made me feel…" the silence after my statement was unbearable, but she broke it after a while

"You did not like the way I made you feel…" She repeated the words appalled "Piper…" She had never said my name so carefully… "Answer me something…and I beg you to be completely honest" She added sternly "Did I…" she seemed to be troubled asking the question "Did you…feel…somehow… _forced_ …by me?" I could tell she had a hard time delivering the words…

"Forced?" I repeated, still not willing to see her in the eyes…

"Yes…forced, to do something you didn't want to do…" I thought carefully of her words… _Forced…_ No, I had not been _forced_. In fact, it had been completely the opposite…I mean, how can you force someone who has all the defenses with the guard lowered?

"No…I did not feel _forced_ …" I recognized

"Then…why did you say that you did not like the way I made you feel?" Bits of the night went through my mind; I had loved the things she made me feel…at least, while they lasted. What I did not like was the feeling I had when she left…when I realized that I had dishonored myself…

"Because…it was _wrong_ …" I had to turn my back to her again, to hide my blush

"Wrong?" She let out a heavy sigh "Piper…You are frustrating me…I need you to look at me…" She forced me to turn around by my shoulders. Still, my head remained down, not to look at her… "Look at me!" She urged me

"I don't want to…" I said with determination

"You are being childish…why on earth wouldn't you look at me?" She demanded to know, I thought by her tone that she was beginning to lose her patience…

"Your eyes!" I burst out "They make me feel weird things and…they don't let me think straight…" I recognized really embarrassed. She seemed to consider my words…

"Alright…then don't look at me if you don't want to" she softened her words "But answer me…What do you mean by _wrong?_ " Did I really have to explain to her what I meant by _wrong_?

"Wrong…as immoral as… _sinful…"_ How else could I explain it to her?

"Sinful…" She repeated, and I did not need to see her face to know that she was smiling

"Yes sinful!" I retorted annoyed…what would she know about that kind of morality!

" _Pipes_ …" Her affectionate term of endearment surprised me delightfully "That's ridiculous…there's nothing _wrong_ with what we did _…_ " She got closer to me but stopped as soon as she noticed my reluctance to be close to her "Could you answer another question?" She asked but gave me no time to respond, delivering her second inquiry immediately "Did you like it?" Those four words sounded loaded with slyness. I was so surprised by her brazenness to ask _that_ , I had to look at her to see if she was serious… _Grave mistake…_ Her lips were up in a corner, slightly outlining the most wicked of smiles and her eyes sparkled gloriously with a glow I had never seen in them before, making me lose responsiveness " _Because_ …I would swear you did…" My hair bristled with the sound of her raspy voice. She immobilized me with her gaze, and approached me deliberately slowly, forcing me back until I hit the wall "I know _I_ liked it…" She pinned me against the wall with both hands at my hips and leaned forward to place her icy lips lightly above my ear "You have no idea of how much…" I forgot how to breathe when her lips took a nibble of my earlobe and withdrew a little to face me "And I'm not ashamed to admit it…" Something inside me was about to burn, but her icy lips quickly mollified the feeling when they crashed against mine without warning

"Lady Vause…please…don't" I said between her insistent kisses. I pressed my hands against her chest to get her away from me very slightly, but my strength was nowhere to be found, and my mouth had a will of its own

"Lady Vause? I thought we had agreed that you could call me Alex…" She said heavily against my lips… _Yes, last night when you lay over my bare chest…_ I thought with embarrassment, and that thought was exactly what triggered my next response

"I'm not willing to become your _slut!_ " I dared to say with great conviction, pushing her away from me; I don't know where I got the strength to deny her lips. She was aghast, a couple of steps away from me

"My _slut_? What are you talking about?" She frowned deeply, pretending to be shocked by my words…It offended me enormously that she thought I was _that_ stupid, so as not to know her real intentions…

"I don't want your gifts or your nice details…I don't want your horse or your books…no more walks, no more breakfasts together…if _this_ is how I should return your favors…then it's over!" I felt an immeasurable misery within my soul by spitting at her all those things with hatred. I shed the tears without even noticing that they had begun to cloud my eyes. I lowered my sight, ashamed

"Is that how I made you feel?" Her voice sounded distant, like miles away. I nodded trying to muffle my sobs "Do you really think I've been nice to you just to get you into bed?" I felt her cold fingers firmly under my chin, forcing me to look up, but I held my head bowed "Please, I _need_ to see you in the eyes" I acceded to her request and stared intently into the green of her eyes, clearer than ever "Piper...All the things I've done, I've done them only to make you happy…You have to believe me when I say that, under no circumstances I was expecting for you to pay me back in any way" I heard every word entranced "What happened last night, was not something I planned, it just… _happened_ …and to me it was the most wonderful night of all my nights…which are not few…" she joked a little at the end…my heart swelled at her statement… _Did she just tell me that it was the best night of her life?_... _Had it been the best night of my life?_ I suspected yes, but it was dangerous to recognize it, even to myself. Still, there was something still bugging in my mind

"Then why did you leave… _after_?" Really, what happened with my will to shut my mouth?

"Is that what you did not like?" I just nodded hopelessly, again, prey to her gaze "I'm so sorry…nothing was further from my intentions than hurting your feelings…" She cupped my cheek with her hand and wiped the remnant of a tear with her thumb "And please…under no circumstances tell me again that what we have is over…"

"But it is…" Maybe her intention was not turning me into her… _slut…_ but that did not mean that what we did was right…and I was not able to go on as if nothing had happened between us "If I'm going to stay here…I think the best is to resume our initial status…I still have a debt I must pay so…I'm to serve you, Lady Vause" I said with severity, hoping that she understood that I was not going to fall again on such… _doings_ "Now I'm completely recovered, so I'm ready to perform the tasks assigned to me" I waited anxiously for her response, I sensed I waited an eternity

"Alright…" She said nonchalantly…honestly I was not expecting for her to take it so well "If that's what you really want…" Her face was devoid of any kind of expression

"It is…" I confirmed

"Well…if you say you are ready to take on some tasks, I think that the most logical thing is that from now on you assume the responsibilities of the housekeeper" _No…not that…_

"The Housekeeper?" I asked with dread

"Yes, I really need one…You know what happened to Sylvie…" And then, she added with underestimation "Except you think is too much for you of course…" No, the responsibility that brought the work itself it was not _too much_ for me however, dealing with her constantly and _closely_ …That could be _a lot_ for me…

"No…I can absolutely do it…" I agreed, pretty unconvinced

"It's settled then…consider this your free day" She adopted a behavior of command, ready to give orders "Tomorrow, I want you in my room first thing in the morning, to explain to you what your duties will be"

"Which room?" I asked slightly confused…

"My former room...where you spent the night..." _As if I needed to remember it_ "Please, do not forget to bring my breakfast and…I would really appreciate if you would return the sheets you took from my bed" My face reddened wildly with her words, and again, I was not capable of holding her gaze. I hid my chin and closed my eyes waiting for the embarrassment to pass "Unless you want to keep them as a souvenir" I felt the chilly air left by her words very close to my ear. I opened my eyes stunned by her proximity, but she was already gone; she had vanished into the thin air.

From the night before and on, her absence seemed to weigh over my soul excruciatingly, every day, a little more…


	22. Chapter 22

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello! I know some of you are frustrated because Alex left Piper alone, and yes, she did a terrible thing but I really hope you understand why she did it. Thank you everybody for your nice words, they keep me inspired ;) Enjoy this long chapter!

 **CHAPTER XXII (Alex's POV)**

 _Please…come soon…_ I begged to death to finish with me, but I did not seem to go anywhere. The feeling in my chest was agonizing, with no signs of ceasing anytime soon; I had never felt pain so fully. In the middle of the daze, I searched blindly to feel her… _Breathe…_ I forced myself and I got to smell her; that scent could only be real and that could only mean that I still remained in the world. I continued to breathe her, as I felt that as soon as I stopped doing so, I would be gone…

"Lady Vause?" I was slightly aware of her voice calling me; I tried to recover control over my numbed limbs… _Move…_ My arms were the first to respond to my commands, and slowly, I began to feel other things besides her fragrance, like her blazing skin… _As long as it burns, I'm still here…_ I crawled up with effort, seeking for more contact with the fire, smoldering my lips and tongue on the way. I was exhausted, extremely weakened, I could not keep my weight and I fell on top of her. I could not have fallen in a better place, right above her heart. The sound of it brought me back to life slowly but surely… _Why would I have kept my clothes on?..._ Nothing would have comforted me more that lying skin to skin on her, I thought. At some point, the pain ceased and calm reigned over me; I found myself at peace, listening to her heart beating more and more evenly; even the sound of it was so pure, untainted… _I could listen to it for hours…_

"Alex…?" Her voice sounded closer that time; apparently I was leaving behind my inebriated state. I searched for her eyes and with one last push, I touched the sky when my eyes fixated on her cerulean gaze "I'm sorry…Lady Vause"

"No…I like Alex…" I could barely speak, still a little stunned "You can call me Alex" _You can call me whatever you want…_ I became submissive to her lips. I was so happy to have the bliss of kissing them again, when just a moment ago I had come to think that my death had arrived with certainty... _Why am I still alive by the way?_ I wondered...Not that I could complain when I had my lips melting on hers. She shuddered uncontrollably; in the calm that followed our heated encounter and with her divine nudity still in contact with the freezing air of the room and _my body_ , I had to assume that she was getting cold…

I retired from her and covered her with the sheets. She had never seemed so vulnerable to me than in that moment. She looked tired, maybe because of her lack of sleep, as she had told me that she had tried to stay awake waiting for me; I thought it would be best to let her rest and decided to leave…I did not know what would happen if I stayed and I did not want to push my luck any further, I was really weakened and maybe it had also been too much for her, at least for that night. I kissed tenderly her eyelids and settled a last deeper kiss on her forehead, and bid her goodnight

I went to my room and dropped myself into an armchair; after the near death experience I had between her legs, I felt a little lightheaded and somehow exhausted. I began to reflect deeply on the big question; why was I still _alive…_? I would swear that I had completely _surrendered_ to her; I would swear I saw the light for the very first time and… _nothing happened_. I pondered on the subject deeply. Maybe it would be a slow process; darkness was too powerful to cease so easily. But whatever she had, it was very _powerful_ too; I only had to think about what she made me feel and how impaired I was, both physically and mentally…I felt adrift, _defenseless…_

For a moment I put aside my concerns and remembered vividly some images. As soon as I tasted her lips, I was certain that what would come would be unprecedented, and so it was. Dozens of women had passed through my bed, women far more learned than she was. I took her in the simplest way and yet, I had never owned someone so thoroughly; for the first time I was truly aware of my senses and I had never been so... _aroused…_ just thinking about her rosy nipples made me lose my mind… _and the sweet sounds that came out from her mouth_ … What was I supposed to do with her from then on? If it were up to me, I had a clear idea of the things I would do with her, or rather, _to her_ ; despite the pain it could cause me, I could not wait to feel her over and over again. That thought opened a new door of possibilities; if I was already sentenced, what kept me from enjoying her as much as possible? I should no longer care at that point…from then on, my goal would be to enjoy her as many times as I could, until my end came. The thing was… _Would she accept my shameless proposal?_ Because, what had happened that night was unplanned, spontaneous…and although she seemed to enjoy enthusiastically, I was not sure if she was willing to sign up for what I had in mind...

"Where the hell have you been?" Dawn took me completely by surprise…I had not even noticed when she opened the door "It's been two days! And we did not know anything about you!" Nicky always had a thing for drama "I thought about you thousands of times, and you ignored every call…you'd better have a good reason for what you did…" She warned me

"Nicky…" _If you only knew my reasons you would shut up…_

"Piper has been sick worried about you!" she went on unstoppably

"Nicky, please…The last thing I need now is to hear your reprimands…" She must have noticed something serious in my face because she took on a worried tone…

"Is something wrong?" How could I tell her the truth about what was happening to me? About my certain death…

"No…there's nothing wrong…" I lied

"That's bullshit…Alex, what happened?" Of course, she knew me too well. I had to tell her something before she got to suspect that it was something worse…I decided to tell her one truth that would distract her from _that_ other subject; after all, I would surely need some advice

"I…" It was hard to find an appropriate way to describe what we had just done "…got into Piper's bed…" It was the most pathetic way I could find

"You fuck her?!" Nicky instead found and easy word to describe it, although it was not the most suitable one

"I did not _fuck_ her…per se" I added "Besides…don't say it like that, is Piper who we are talking about…" I told her with a hint of disgust. The vulgar term would not have mattered to me if it were to refer to another person…

"Ohhh, so you got into her bed but you did not _fuck_ her…" She repeated skeptically. With everything I could have done to her, what I did to her that night could not be considered as such

"That's correct…" I confirmed her statement and she snorted

"Yeah right…because when you get into a woman's bed you just…like to _cuddle_ " She said loaded with sarcasm

"I barely kissed her..." I said unconvinced, because it had been much more than that "...down there" I recognized at last and she covered her ears foolishly

"AAAAHHH LA LA LA! Spare me the details!" She exclaimed and I stopped talking "But…how…when…how did this happen?" She blurted out incoherently

"Last night…"

"Last night?!" Again, her voice was too loud for my taste

"Could you stop screaming and listening to me?" She _zipped_ her lips with a gesture of her fingers, making me understand that she would not interrupt me again "Last night, I went by my room, _her_ room" I corrected "She had fallen asleep with the candles burning so I went in to blow off the candles…" I got lost in the memory of the moment "I…I don't know what happened, I sat on the edge of the bed by her side, she woke up, we talked and I kissed her…and then…I simply couldn't stop…" I explained with the simplest words

"You couldn't stop?" I shook my head in denial "...did she... _try_ to stop?" She asked warily…

"Nicky! What the hell are you implying?!" I was angry with her presumption "And no…obviously she didn't stop me, in fact, she was quite willing" I couldn't hide the hint of pride

"It's your fault!... _I couldn't stop_ was a terrible choice of words" She apologized "So, let me get this straight…you entered into her room to blow the candles off and ended up by blowing something else…" She wiggled her eyebrows and laughed softly with mischief

"I _really_ don't know why I'm talking with you about this…" Everything seemed a joke for her

"I'm sorry I couldn't help it!" She claimed with remorse "I won't do it again" She pleaded

"Whatever, I won't say another word to you…" I turned my face away from hers

"Alex…" She began after a moment of silence "You said _last night_ …where is she now?"

"In her room…where else?" I responded casually turning again towards her

"You didn't… _leave…_ after… _you know_ …right?" What was her point? And why did that mattered?

"What was I supposed to do?" I asked with curiosity

"YOU LEFT HER?!" Why did she say it as a horrifying thing to do?

"…I bid her goodnight and came to my room" It was not like I left without a proper goodbye

"Oh dear Alex…How could you do that to her?" She asked me sickened

"What!?" I suddenly feared I had done something terribly wrong, but I did not know what

"To leave her alone after _that,_ you stone brained!" She admonished me strongly and I thought about it several seconds…

"Do you think…I should have stayed with her?" Still…I felt I was missing the point

"Arrggh! How insensitive you can be sometimes!" I couldn't argue with that, she surely had a point so I let her go on "She gave herself to someone for the first time…she gave herself to you! And you just _fucked_ her and left!"

"But again…I did not _fuck_ her…" I had to emphasize again

"I _really_ don't think she knows the difference" Nicky highlighted

"How is that even possible? Everybody knows the difference!" I argued

"I'm pretty sure that she ignores _certain_ subjects…" She implied

"How do you know that?" Sometimes I didn't like the fact that Nicky seemed to know _her_ better than I did…

"She asked me once what a _slut_ was…" I laughed softly with a broad smile at that fact "And when we went to the market, I had to explain to her that Lorna was actually a girl, not a man…I mean, she did not even know that two women could be together for crying out loud!" I found her ingenuousness appealing "She trusted you, and you let her spend the night alone, as if she were just one more girl to add to your broad repertoire…"

"No! She's not just one more girl!" I strongly defended. She was _unique_ and the simple image of including her with the others was atrocious

" _I_ know she's not, because _I_ know how you feel about her…but maybe that's exactly how _she_ felt when you left" I was not even aware of what I was doing when I left. I was not used to let anyone linger around after sex. Once I got what I wanted, the last thing I needed was someone interfering with my peaceful solitude. Evidently, she was different; her presence never seemed to bother me, on the contrary; since her, solitude was not something I found essential anymore and her absence only made me long for her at all hours. I did not leave because her presence disturbed me; I only wanted to let her sleep peacefully and with me there, I didn't know if that would have been possible. One way or another, I had not considered her feelings. It infuriated me to be so thick of mind, especially when it came to _her…_

"I…I didn't think about it" I recognized oddly ashamed

"I have already told you…your social skills are lousy" I gave her a deadpan look "But you are definitely getting better" she added ironically

"I should go and talk to her…" I said with hesitation, waiting for Nicky's confirmation. Despite her lack of seriousness, she always seemed to give good advice; her human factor helped me to understand certain things

"Yes you _should_ " she reaffirmed me with a smile

"Thank you…" I told her and went immediately to meet _her_

I knocked on the door a little nervous to see her… _And now what would happen between us?_ _What would be her attitude towards me from now on? And if she thinks it was a mistake? Will she distance herself from me?_ Nobody responded… _Maybe she's still asleep…_ I opened the door cautiously and peered in. The bed was empty and unmade. I walked in…

"Piper?" I called her with apprehension… _Something is wrong…_ I got closer to the bed and noticed the quilt spread out on the floor; the sheets were missing. I looked frantically around, her books seemed complete. I ran to her dresser and open the main drawer…it was empty. Of course, I thought the worst… _She decided to escape again…_ "What have I done? What have I done?" That time, I would be the only one to blame. I _almost_ panicked, but then, reason spoke to me… _Maybe she just went back to her old room…_ Yes, that made much more sense. I did not waste a second and I stood already at her door; I pressed my ear against it looking for more than familiar sounds to me…her breathing and her heart… _There she is…_ relief was splendid. I called her through the door and I sensed her heart speeding up; she was obviously awake, but from her mouth, not a single word came out, so I insisted and begged her to let me in, letting her know that I knew she was in there.

"I don't want you to come in!" Her irritated tone seemed charming to me, making me smile despite the situation. I had already known her true tone of contempt, in a time that seemed already very distant, but then, her recent words lacked real hatred. I had to remind her that a simple door couldn't get in my way. I had asked her to let me in by pure cordiality. For me, there were no physical barriers that prevented me from getting anywhere…but her next words took me aback…

"And you always have to get what you want right? Even above the desires of the others…" _Has she said that with a double meaning?_ Probably she was really mad with me for what had happened

"Alright…" I couldn't force her to talk to me after what I had done "If that's what you want, I won't come in…but I really need to talk to you…" I could only hope that my sad voice made her reconsider talking to me. But nothing was easy with her so, as expected, she told me we had nothing to talk about. Since my patience could be infinite, I decided to test _hers;_ I threatened not to move from her door until she let me in.

"Then I'll rot in here because I will never leave this room!" _Was there someone sillier in this world?_ But I already knew her too well; the best I could do was playing along…

"Fine! I'll leave then! The last thing I want is for you to rot because of me…" I said severe, making her believe that I was not going to discuss any further. Nobody was better than me at keeping quiet, although I almost missed a laugh when I heard her walking with great care towards the door. I could almost see her on her tiptoes. I stepped aside and observed the shadow that filtered through the small slit on the floor, suddenly her steps ceased. _What the hell is she doing?_ Then I saw the knob turning ever so slowly and a wide smile spread all over my face. She peeked out slightly, using the door as a shield, and I stayed behind it. In an instant, I appeared right in front of her, my hand gripping around the door's frame with a victorious smile… "Hunted" I said. Her face was one of shock. With all her might, she slammed the door, catching my fingers. The pain was quite intense, making me complain loudly and withdrawing my hand to my chest, but the pain only lasted a couple of seconds, after which, it was as if nothing had happened, due to my ability to heal really fast.

"Oh my heavens! I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry!" She desperately said and a wicked smiled bloomed on my lips "Let me see let me see…" She begged reaching for my hand. The mendacious and manipulative facets of my being took place

"It's fine…" I pretended to be hurt in a desperate measure to talk to her

"I'm _so so so_ sorry…really…please let me see your hand" Maybe it was a little cruel, but I did not care…I would do whatever was necessary; besides, I found myself truly enjoying her distress towards my welfare

"It's nothing really…" I said as if stoically enduring the pain. I seized the opportunity to let myself in and sitting down on her bed. She knelt in front of me

"It does not look like nothing…" I saw her face of angst and I almost… _almost_ …felt sorry for fooling her like that

"Don't worry about it…" I wrapped my hand quickly with a handkerchief, so that she could not notice that my hand in fact, was perfectly fine. She looked up and the sight of her from above was heavenly

"I'm really sorry…there must be something I can do for you…" _Exquisite words in the right moment…I, sitting on your bed and you on your knees at my feet_ I thought nastily. Alright… _Maybe_ I was having _too much_ fun at her expense

"It will pass…they are only fingers…" _Maybe a little more fun, and that's it Alex!_ "Besides...the only thing that could calm this pain would be that you allowed me to exchange some words with you..." surprisingly she did not fall into the trap…even so, despite her initial reluctance to speak, in the end I managed to trick her into talking…

When she told me that she had not liked the way I had made her feel, my whole world collapsed. _Could that be true?_ I remembered some key moments of the night… _But she seemed so willing, she liked it…right? Unless…_ Had I been so blinded by the things _I_ was feeling that I had misunderstood her signals? I repeated her words, looking for confirmation that I had heard well and asked her with great dread if she had felt somehow _forced…Maybe she did not resist out of fear_. I thought with nausea, however, she freed me from my fears…

"No…I did not feel forced…" Those words were not enough to appease my worries, so I inquired more, trying hard to comprehend what she had said. When she explained her true reasons, I understood the cause of her blatant blush. She was under the impression that what we did had been _wrong_ and _sinful._ How many absurd things have they taught her throughout her life? How could someone make another person believe that _that_ beautifully astonishing thing we did…was wrong?

"Pipes…" I tenderly told her "That's ridiculous…there's nothing _wrong_ with what we did…" She could not miss something so good just because someone told her that it was sinful… _How absurd!_ I felt anger towards her lifestyle…of course, not against her; she was not to blame for her own ignorance. In my mind I drew a new resolution, the ultimate purpose of my life; I would free her from so many silly prejudices to learn to live fully, hence, _I_ could live fully the last remnants of my existence. On second thought, my purpose seemed rather selfish, but I didn't care. I got closer to her but she was still indisposed to accept my closeness "Could you answer another question?...Did you like it?" I jumped to ask her shamelessly, I was not going to treat her like a little girl that could only know so little about life as her family had done. She locked her eyes on mine and seemed horrified by my forwardness. A beautiful veil of redness covered the exposed skin of her neck, rising up to her cheeks and ears. I had hit the nail on her shame and I loved it " _Because…_ I would swear you did…" I pushed her blush further. I knew she had enjoyed it, she was only ashamed, but I would take care of washing the shame of her. I took on a predatory manner, corralling her against the wall "I know _I_ liked it…" I placed my hands possessively on her hips pushing her further into the wall and whispered in her ear the greatest of my truths "You have no idea of how much…" _And you have no idea of how much I want you right now…_ I kept myself from saying taking her blazing earlobe with my lips, only for an instant, enough to make her heart going crazy "And I'm not ashamed to admit it…" _And I need to taste your lips…_ and so I did. It was like savoring them for the first time, my mind apparently had been unable to hold on to such a wonderful memory.

"Lady Vause…please…don't" She tried to resist pitifully

"Lady Vause? I thought we had agreed that you could call me Alex…" I added playfully

"I'm not willing to become your slut!" I walked back when I noticed her hands pushing me away harder… _What did she say?_

As it turns out, Nicky was right. I _had_ made her feel used in the worst way. My naughty attitude vanished and I was truly dismayed for making her feel like that. The best night of my countless years totally ruined by my lack of sensitiveness…but the memory of that night was not the only thing I had managed to spoil spectacularly. The worst, I had ruined her rising trust again. She expressed her desire to get to work again; our walks were over, our sincere talks were over, everything was over. Even so, that was better than if she had asked me to take her home, so _maybe,_ there was still room for hope, _if_ I played my cards carefully. For the moment, as I already knew, the most intelligent thing to do was to play along, but I was not exactly known for playing fair…

"Alright…if that's what you really want" I said with the utmost indifference after a moment of silence

"It is…" She thought she was the one in charge… _How sweet…_

"Well…if you think you are ready to take on some tasks, I think that the most logical thing is that from now on you assume the responsibilities of the housekeeper" Her eyes widened

"The Housekeeper?" _You would not think I was going to make it easy for you, right?_

"Yes, I really need one…You know what happened to Sylvie…" I measured my next words…"Except you think is too much for you of course…" The perfect bait

"No…I can absolutely do it…" And she had just bitten it

"It's settled then…consider this your free day" I had a hard time speaking to her in a tone of authority "Tomorrow, I want you in my room first thing in the morning, to explain to you what your duties will be…"

"Which room?" She tentatively asked

"My former room…where you spent the night" I clarified for her embarrassment "Please, do not forget to bring my breakfast and…I would really appreciate if you would return the sheets you took from my bed" Her flush was feral with the mention of the sheets. Above all, I would not give up to mess up with her. She couldn't hold her eyes on mine and lowered her head with discomfiture "Unless you want to keep them as a souvenir" I said whispering every word in her ear and left, leaving her sunken with shame

She could say whatever she wanted, I knew better. Under no circumstances I was going to give up on her because of her narrow-mindedness. What annoyed me the most about the situation was to be certain that she had enjoyed it…if it had been otherwise, I would have been the first to walk away from her forever, but that was not the case. She had kissed me back just a moment ago, reaffirming my statements. Her silly prejudices stood in my way, very inconveniently and if it were not because I had a death sentence hanging over my head, the challenge would seem to me extremely amusing, still, I was planning to have fun with the new situation, but I did not know if I would have the patience to bring her to my grounds, let alone, the time…

That day became unbearably long, even more when my mind did not seem willing to stop tormenting me with images of her; she had become an obsession. But I was completely compromised to stick to my initial plan of _playing along…_ so I endured the day as I could, with infinite patience. At night, I could not control the desire to see her, and I did something truly improper, even for me. I lingered outside of her room, at her door, waiting to hear the steady rhythm of her heart paced with her breathing, that indicated me that she was sound asleep. That time I would pay more attention to any change, ready to disappear in case she woke up like the night before, when she had caught me out of guard in such a compromising situation. I got into her room, it was dark; at least she had put out the candles before sleeping, I got closer to her bed and ever so slightly I sat at the edge. For a moment I considered the whole thing was disturbing, and I felt revulsion for myself… _Have you become a deviant now?_ _What would she think if she knew that you were watching her while she sleeps?_ Nothing good, I assumed. I was ready to leave but I froze at the mention of my name...

"Alex…" I did not dare to move; my best camouflage was the darkness that surrounded us. I watched her and her eyes were still closed "Don't go…" she mumbled… _She's dreaming…_ "Stay…" Her heart stirred slightly and she became a little agitated, something also whirled in me… _She said "stay"_ … I thought fascinated. I watched her engrossed hoping she would continue her involuntary confessions, but she said nothing else… _Come on…keep talking…_ in an extremely daring move, I leaned over her to whisper her name in her ear…

" _Piper…"_ Hoping to draw more words out of her…

"Mmmmmm…" She hummed very quietly. What I wouldn't give away to know what she was dreaming of. Her heart seemed to increase its beats; I was afraid that she would wake up, so I left. The feeling I had was enlivening and so intense, that there was no room for guilt for what I had just done…She was dreaming of me! She had said my name! And in a very different manner from when she had said it dreaming of me when she had been uncosncious after her accident...As the dawn approached, the slower the hours passed. I sat waiting patiently for her to come to my room, as I had requested. I was starting to get nervous when dawn came and there were no signs of her, I even considered going after her, but it was not necessary after all. A timid knock announced her arrival a little late; it could only be her…I got up from the chair and walked towards the window, adopting an indifferent stance…

"Come in" I heard the door open slowly and the clicking sound of the tableware; surely, she had never carried a tray in her life…

"Good morning Lady Vause…" She said very formally

"Oh…Piper it's you…" I acknowledged her casually, as if I did not already know it was her. I smiled internally when I confirmed my suspicions that she had not carry a tray in her life. She was holding the tray very clumsily and the position of her body indicated me that she was having trouble at keeping its contents properly balanced "You can lay the tray on the table" She did as I said almost spilling the contents of the teapot. For a moment it worried me that she was making unnecessary efforts; while I approached the table to take a sit I asked her "Are you sure that you feel like working? I'm worried that your ribs are not completely healed…"

"I'm perfectly fine my Lady…you don't need to worry about it…" She seemed determined to maintain a formal behavior towards me

"I hope you have enough sense to tell me the truth otherwise…" I warned her slightly

"Of course my Lady" I took a sit to start breakfast and she stood by the table

"And by the way…you don't have to knock on my door to enter and you can take a sit if you like…" I offered her, something I had never offered to any of my housekeepers

"Thank you but I'm fine" She was not even willing to look at me

"You are a little late…" Sincerely, I did not care, I was only trying to make some conversation to lighten the more than palpable tension that seemed to emanate from her "Everything alright?"

"I'm sorry my Lady, I… _overslept_ …" Her cheeks seemed to blush ever so slightly…

"Oh…so you _rested_ quite well…" I added slightly amused, knowing that her awkwardness was due to the fact that she had been dreaming of me

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked warily. Suddenly her faint blush was not so soft…

"The bed change and the room change could have disrupted your sleep…that's all" I said casually, suspecting by her blush, or perhaps deperately wishing her dreams had been of the wet type

"Well, I slept splendidly, thank you for asking…my Lady" I lost count of the times she had called me _my lady_ in such a short period of time; it was more than clear to me that she was intending to keep distance between us. _Play along Alex…_ I just started my breakfast without talking to her, completely ignoring her presence "So…" she began after a long moment of silent "Is this one of my duties as the housekeeper? To stand by the table watching you eat breakfast?" Her annoyance was fascinating

"If I remember correctly…I told you that you could take a seat…" I finished the last bite of my toast "But since you mentioned it, yes…one of your duties is to keep me company when I request it…" I wiped my mouth with a napkin and continued talking to her "But what am I going to tell you? Of course you already know what your duties are…surely you grew up with tons of maids…In your home you had a housekeeper, am I wrong?" Her silence only confirmed my assumption. As she did not seem willing to talk, I was the one to speak "I _woke up_ very early…while I eat breakfast and as long as I do not request your company at the table, your duty is to organize my clothes for the day…I hate to think about what I'm going to wear…" That was true "This reminds me…you must always be aware that I have clean clothes all the time, and absolutely neaten up…I have a respectable reputation to keep" I continued explaining to her "While I'm at home, you must be practically my shadow" Maybe that was not true…the last thing I wanted was to have Sylvie breathing all day over me… _but her…_ "…I need you to be always aware of my needs…you will bring my meals, keep my room in order, prepare my baths every night before dinner, lighting the fireplace at the library…I like reading in there before getting into bed…" I went on uninterruptedly… "Oh! It is very important that you keep my bottles of liquor properly stocked…" She looked around for the bottles "Besides that…you will use my prolonged absences when I'm not at home to take care of the castle management. That will include food supplies and other provisions…candles, furnishings, clothes, wood…and of course, the administration of the money destined for those things" The list was endless "Also, the cleaning tasks…of course, you will not have to move a single finger but you will be in control of the rest of the service staff; you are free to give orders to whomever you want in order to accomplish the tasks properly…" She seemed overwhelmed with all the information "Is everything alright?" She nodded absentmindedly "Whenever you have doubts you can ask me…or you can ask Nicky or Red" I added at last because maybe she was too proud to come to me

"I know…" She recognized softly "So…now…I'm supposed to help you choose what you are going to wear…right?" she asked uncertainly

"Yes…" I smiled at her "But not today. I'll go and get ready in the other room…you must send someone for my things first, remember?"

"Oh right…right…I'll do that then…" She did not sound very convinced…She made a gesture to leave but turned around suddenly "I'm sorry…I forgot to ask you if you needed anything else…my Lady"

"Piper…" I called her softly. I had the feeling that maybe she was nervous about her new responsibilities "You'll do a great job…" I reassured her

"You really think so?" She asked with a sweet timid smile…she had liked my words fondly

"Absolutely" I could not be more certain of it

"Thank you…" She smiled in a way that was not unknown to me. In that moment, everything was alright between us "I better get going…apparently I have too many things to do" She rolled her eyes jokingly and I laughed softly

"I'll be back for dinner" I told her…unfortunately, I couldn't avoid my duties either…

"Dinner?" _Was there a hint of discontent?_

"You are not the only one with too many things to do" In spite of my certain doom, I was still the Warden, my obligations could not be disregarded

"I guess you will want your bath ready for when you are back" She sought confirmation that she had absorbed all the information…

"That's right" I smiled genuinely at her. That simple and small exchange between us felt so natural; maybe, after all, it was not going to be so difficult to earn her trust again…

"Then…Have a nice day" She wished me impersonally "By your leave my Lady" And _bowed_ , resuming her distant and formal approach towards me, spoiling our momentary improvement

"Don't forget to clean the table..." I added with a bit of resentment at her frigidity and she was lightly taken aback by my harsh tone

"Yes...I'm sorry" She loaded the tray with the dirty tableware and carried it, that time easily for the reduced weight of the tray

" _Now_ you can retire..." I ordered her coldly. She looked at me with a gesture of puzzlement... _You asked for formality...here's some formality..._ She left without a word

Yes, I would play along, at her pace and give her exactly what she wanted, determined to let her be the first to drop the farce; determined that she would be the one to come to me, and not the other way around…


	23. Chapter 23

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello guys! I hope everything is ok with you! I'm especially lazy today, maybe it's the summer heat but my mind is working _really_ slow lately XD in fact, I've got nothing to say right now hahaha...I hope you like this new chapter! Enjoy! See you in the comments! ;) Best regards!

 **CHAPTER XXIII (Piper's POV)**

I spent my _free_ day practically without leaving my room. I barely went out to get something to eat at lunch. I had to dodge Red's questions about why I had returned to my former room. I simply told her that I was completely recovered and that it made no sense to continue in the lady's room, that after all, I still had a debt to pay. Something about my manners made her restrain herself from asking me more questions. I could not even look at her in the face of the embarrassment I was feeling about everything that had happened. After lunch I went back to my room and took a long bath with hot water, as if that could wash away the invisible traces left by her lips and her hands from my skin; but I could not soak my mind in hot water, as it wandered full of images that I tried to forget with all my strength; at some point I deduced that forgetting that night it was going to be an impossible task, because… _How could I?_ My mind, my body, my senses…they had been expanded beyond my imagined limits by _her_ irredeemably, and they could never return to their previous size, and I hated her for that, but I hated myself the most for having allowed her to do so… _Did you like it?_...She had the nerve to ask… _Arrrgghhh…_ I scrubbed my skin with the sponge enraged, until my skin burned, replacing the memory of her cold lips only for a few seconds. The heat could not replace the cold apparently.

At night, I did not go to the kitchen for dinner; I was not even hungry and I was too tired, I only wanted to go to sleep…if I could. I wanted to be well rested for whatever I was going to face the next day. A soft knock on my door startled me just when I was about to get into bed… _What if it's her?_

"Piper…" I relaxed immediately when I heard Nicky's voice "Can I come in?"

"I'd rather not…" I said honestly. She probably knew already what had happened, and knowing her, she surely had a million questions, and I did not want to talk about it

"Why not?" She asked peeking her face into the room. _Why would she knock on the door if she is going to come in anyway?_

"Because…I was about to go to bed…" I said slightly irritated

"Alright…it's just that I have not seen you all day…I was wondering how everything was with you…" She said casually, as if I was going to swallow that

"I'm fine…" I said cuttingly

"Are you sure?" She narrowed her eyes skeptically

"Nicky cut it out!..." I had not patience for that "I know you know what happened…and I _really_ don't want to talk about it alright?"

"Alright…" She said in a conciliatory tone "But…if at some point you feel like talking…about _anything_ …you know you can come to me, right?" I suddenly felt guilty for having being so harsh with her. I softened my voice

"I know, and I truly appreciate it but right now, I don't feel like talking at all" I sentenced

"I heard you clear and loud…" She seemed willing to drop the subject "I'll leave you alone then…have a goodnight…"

"Goodnight Nicky…and _thank you_ …" I told her at last and prepared to go to bed

It was hard to conceive the dream. Despite my lack of sleep and my tiredness, I thought it was hours before my body finally gave in, but my mind did not seem inclined to give me respite, not even in my dreams, because it only brought me imaginings of her. That night, I did not have the recurring dream of us in the forest that caused me so much anguish; instead, my unconsciousness rewarded me with something more comforting; all I dreamed about was _her lips…_ I found myself again at her bed and she was all I could feel. I asked her to stay with me and I feasted on the fleshy rims of her mouth blatantly and got tired of saying her name; it seemed that I was bolder in my dreams than I was when awakened; I heard her calling my name and I loved the sound of it coming from her mouth. Everything was so vivid, so real, that I could even feel the coldness of her skin…it was amazing that my mind was able to reconstruct everything in such detail, even her scent; I felt it so strong in my nose that it pulled me out of my reverie. I woke up abruptly slightly confused. At first I did not know where I was, but after a few seconds I grasped that I was in _my_ room. Despite the chilly air, I found myself warmed over. I took the sheets off to let my body cool. There was a strange tickling sensation coming from between my thighs that inevitably made me think about the moment her lips had touched _that_ part of my body; I let out an exasperated snort and lay down again frustrated, refusing to close my eyes afraid that my mind would betray me again. She had invaded my brain as well; would I spend the rest of my nights like that? Dreaming of her? Or having sleepless nights to avoid such dreams?

I was too restless to go to sleep again, so I waited for dawn to come without much enthusiasm; I would have to face her again the next day. When dawn arrived, I was reluctant to go anywhere, but what other choice did I have? Besides, I did not want to behave like a little girl that could not face the consequences of her actions, much less after she told me that I was being childish… _No…I'm not going to ascribe to the situation more importance than it has, that would only swell her pride…_ That thought pushed me to assume my role even with eagerness. My bravado lasted what it took me to get to her room's door. I was carrying the tray with her breakfast, and my hands were trembling so much that I feared to scatter its contents… _Breathe…_ I knocked with difficulty, without letting go of the tray…

"Come in" My stupid heart rejoiced with the sound of her voice _…_ I stoop up firmly, as much as I could without losing the balance of the tray and opened the door with my elbow. She was standing by the main window of her room, her back to me…

"Good morning Lady Vause" I said coldly. She turned around

"Oh…Piper it's you…" She greeted me in a distant tone "You can lay the tray on the table" I became really nervous under her gaze and I focused really hard on not spilling the contents of the tray miserably, which almost happened "Are you sure that you feel like working? I'm worried that your ribs are not completely healed…" She tried to say it with the same coldness of her salute, but there was a hint of true worry in her voice

"I'm perfectly fine my Lady…you don't need to worry about it…" My eyes never left the table; I could not look at her before the dreams of that night

"I hope you have enough sense to tell me the truth otherwise…" That time she said it with real concern

"Of course my Lady…" She sat at the table and I didn't know what to do, so I stood by the table waiting for her orders

"And by the way…you don't have to knock on my door to enter and…you can take a sit if you like…" She motioned me to take a sit by her side. I declined the offer, perhaps a little harsh

"Thank you but I'm fine" I would not accept anything from her, except for instructions…

"You are a little late…" She began casually "Everything alright?"

"I'm sorry my Lady, I…" _This morning I was not ready to face you after spending the whole night dreaming about you…_ "…overslept…"

"Oh…so you rested _quite well_ …" Why did she care about how I slept? And why did she say that with a merry tone?

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked thinking momentarily with great dread if it was possible for her to read my mind with her magic…

"The bed change and the room change could have disrupted your sleep…that's all" She said with measured words, but still, I felt a hint of amusement coming from her. Maybe I was being paranoid

"Well, I slept splendidly, thank you for asking…my Lady" I sentenced firmly, to drop the subject once and for all…She began eating her breakfast completely oblivious of my presence…"So…Is this one of my duties as the housekeeper? To stand by the table watching you eat breakfast?" I asked her after a while, slightly irritated by her silence. It was not surprising when she confirmed that it was actually one of my duties, to keep her company whenever she requested it; it seemed to me a pretty cocky demand. My question led to a long list of chores. I did not know that my responsibilities would be so broad, and for a moment I was weighed down, thinking that maybe I had overestimated my capacities _And now she would see me fail utterly…maybe that's what she wants…_ but I was wrong. When she told me that I would do a great job it did not sound as if she was expecting for me to fail, on the contrary, her words were sincere

"You really think so?" I asked her, touched by her confidence in me

"Absolutely…"

"Thank you" She gave me the courage to believe that I was capable, if she believed in me, why shouldn't I? "I better get going…apparently I have too many things to do" I lightly joked

"I'll be back for dinner…" she let me know…

"Dinner?" I couldn't hide my sudden disappointment…dinner seemed so far

"You are not the only one with too many things to do" She let me know

"I guess you will want your bath ready for when you are back" If I remembered well, she said she liked to take her baths before dinner…

"That's right" She smiled at me in a very familiar way, in a very _dangerous_ way and I needed to stay away from that kind of smiles

"Then…have a nice day" I had to remember that under no circumstances could I allow that kind of dealing with her "By your leave my Lady" I bowed respectfully… _I am only your server, nothing more_

"Don't forget to clean the table…" She dropped her warm smile abruptly

"Yes…I'm sorry…" Her brisk demeanor shocked me a little. I picked up everything from the table…

" _Now_ you can retire…" I did not like her distant behavior, but I could not reproach her, still, I was sad for it. I retired, just as I had been _ordered_ and went to the kitchen, my sight slightly clouded by a veil of tears. _What do you want Piper? You asked for it…Who understands you?_ I kept my grounds before going into the kitchen…

"Are you going to have breakfast now?" Red asked me when she saw me…

"Yes…thank you Red" I put the tray along with other dirty dishes on the counter

"What did you talk about this morning?" She asked me to make some conversation

"Nothing especial…" I said while taking a seat "She explained to me what my responsibilities are and, nothing more…"

"At first, it may seem like a lot of work, but don't worry…" She handed me a plate full of food and came to sit at the table with me "You will learn…"

"I guess…" I poured some tee for both and started eating breakfast. After breakfast, I told Red that I needed the service staff to organize the work for the day

"Ha! Service staff?" She laughed sarcastically "If two girls are enough staff for you…"

"Only two?" How could that be possible in such a big place?

"You can ask them for help, but only after they are done with the kitchen" She was referring to the two women that were always in the kitchen with her "Gina! Norma!..." Red called for them out loud, and they came immediately "You know Piper already…she's the new housekeeper…" They exchanged a furtive glance that did not go unnoticed by me "As you know, you are under her orders when she so requires…understood?"

"Yes Red" The one named Gina agreed, while Norma just bowed her head

"Norma does not speak a single word…" Red explained to me after dismissing them

"I…I don't know if they can do all the things that needs to be done" They could actually; I did a lot of things under Sylvie's orders, but I was not going to treat anyone like that…no way I was going to exploit people above their capabilities

"I'm sorry sweetheart…they'll have to be enough…by the way…" she suddenly said remembering something and went to open a drawer from which she pulled out a large iron ring with a lot of keys…the damn keys Sylvie always carried with her… "These keys are yours now; you will have access to any lock… _what_ key opens _which_ door, I could not tell you so, good luck with that!" I grabbed the keys with both hands; indeed, there were too many keys "Now if you excuse me…I must finish preparing food for the common dining room…"

"The common prisoners!" I exclaimed, I had just had a wonderful idea

"What?" Red looked at me perplexed

"I can take a few prisoners and assign them to the service staff…" I began to share my idea with her

"I don't think that's a good idea…" she interrupted me

"Why not?"

"Lady Alexandra will oppose to that strongly…She does not trust the prisoners to wander all over the castle…"

"And what are prisoners supposed to do? If not helping in the maintenance of the castle…" I had never thought about what their job was

"They do help in the maintenance of the castle" She began explaining without being asked "Common prisoners are people with relatively minor crimes, thus, they are only allowed to approach the common dining room. Their job is to maintain the cells of most dangerous prisoners, and other tasks, such as helping repair walls, doors…but always on the outskirts of the castle. Lady Alexandra does not allow the entry of these people into the main tower until they prove to be reliable…"

"And how are they supposed to prove to be trustworthy if they are not given the opportunity to prove so?" I stubbornly replicated. The system did not seem fair to me…

"I don't know what to tell you; I'm very busy right now…you'll have to talk about it with Lady Alexandra" She said and kept herself busy with her chores. I decided to go to the common room anyway, a place I had not stepped on for a while…

"Chapman!" A familiar voice called me…

"Jones…" I greeted her fondly…the memory of our short introduction seemed so distant…

"Where have you been?" Sylvie had kept me isolated after our first meeting; of course she would have wondered what had happened to me…

"I've been… _around…_ " I answered vaguely

"It seems that your situation has certainly improved since then…" She took me in with her eyes and seemed happy for me

"Yes it has…" I regretted I couldn't say the same to her. She looked extremely worn down

"…Blondie is alive!?" Someone exclaimed stridently; I turned around towards the source of the voice, it was Jefferson, I forgot her other name…

"Alive? Why wouldn't I be alive?" I inquired perplexed

"You disappeared _overnight_ ; is not a good sign in this place" Jones explained sternly

"Yeah…don't you know what happened to Sylvie?" Another woman of dark skin, whose name I did not know, intervened and lowered her voice as if she was about to tell a horror story "They say that the _one who should not be named_ ended up devouring her _alive_ …only the bones remained…"

"The one who should not be named?" I asked mockingly knowing who she was referring to, the story was hilarious…

"The _W-A-R-D-E-N_ " she spelled out mutedly

"Suzanne! You should not be repeating those stories…you don't want to get in trouble…" Jefferson warned her

"That's ridiculous!" I chimed in "That's not what happened…Sylvie was removed from her position for treason and now she's just taking care of the pigs…"

"How do you know that?" Jefferson asked skeptically

"Because…I'm the new housekeeper" A sepulchral silence filled in the room, and everybody looked at me shocked "Nothing bad happened to Sylvie, she just got a fair punishment for what she did, and nothing bad happened to me…as you can see…"

"I'm sorry ma'am" The woman named Suzanne said frightened and dropped to her knees in front of me "Please…don't punish me for what I said…"

"What?..." Why would I punish her?

"Don't tell _her_ what I said about _her_ …" She went on scared

"No…hey…no…" I tried to soothe her "I won't _punish_ you…and I won't tell _her_ anything…" she looked up with troubled eyes "I promise…now stand up" She calmed down a bit

"I'm sorry for her ma'am…she's not very well in the head…" Jefferson said while helping Suzanne on her feet…

"It's alright…" I looked around and felt self-conscious. There was some tension in the room and I seemed to be the cause; wherever I looked, they looked away, avoiding my sight… _They are scared of me…_ I understood. Even Jones seemed reluctant to see me "I actually came to ask for your help. I need some of you to be part of the service staff…any volunteers?" The silence became eerily "I'm not like Sylvie…" Is the first thing that came to my mouth to earn their trust "And things are going to be different with me…please I don't want you to be scared of me" I did not know what else to say "So?" I asked tentatively after a while "Jones?" I looked into her eyes

"I'm in…" Jones was the first to sign up…although a little shy

"Very well! Someone else?" I encouraged them; Suzanne lifted her hand in front of me…

"Me too…" Jefferson said…

"Are you going to feed us with decent food at least?" Someone asked from the end of the table

"And you are?" I asked kindly

"Doggett ma'am…Tiffany Doggett"

"Of course Tiffany…as part of the service staff you will have certain benefits…like, stop eating that unpalatable stew that I also had the misfortune to taste" My words caused some laughter around the room. Someone cleared her throat just behind me, and the laughter stopped right away. I turned around to face a very angry Red…

"Red…" I greeted her with a smile, aware of my blunder. She came with her two assistants that carried a large pot of the horrible stew

"Wait in the kitchen…" _Yes…she's mad_ …I waited for her in the kitchen, quite nervous "So now my food is unpalatable for you…" She began when she was back

"Red…you know I love your food, but you must recognize that the _thing_ you serve to the common prisoners should not be called food…" I sincerely said

"You are right…" She recognized "But that's the point…they are not supposed to enjoy the food" She said harshly "And what the hell were you doing in there? I told you specifically to talk to Lady Alexandra first!"

"I know but, she's going to say no" I was certain of it

"With more reason…don't do it" She advised me

"But I was thinking that maybe I could go behind her back and then, show her what a great job I've done with the prisoners' help and that way...she can't say no!" I concluded with triumph

"I can see that you are just going to skip my advice and do whatever you want, and I can't stop you since officially you are above me in the range of command" She recited very serious "But one thing I will tell you…I don't want to have _anything_ to do with this, as far as I'm concerned, I don't know anything about the subject; Are we clear?" I did not know till then that Red could be so scary

"Clear as water…" I smiled awkwardly although she did not

I returned to the common room to collect those who had signed up for my proposal. In the end, they were eight. They followed me to the main staircase, where I gave them some instructions. They seemed at first intimidated by everything around them. They walked like hawks, watching every detail of the impressive interior. Gradually they seemed to relax a little; I also helped them to calm down by talking with them about silly things. The first task was to collect Alex's belongings from her temporary room, and move them to her permanent one. There, I took care of organizing her clothes while the rest of the staff took care of other tasks, such as cleaning the dust, bringing wood for the chimneys and clean sheets and washing the old ones and some dirty clothes. In the middle of so many things, we went to the kitchen for lunch. I avoided Red's disapproving glance…I was sharing the table with common prisoners, I did not want to imagine Alex's anger if she found out. We went back to her room to continue the arduous tasks; I got nervous when it started to get dark, she would arrive soon. I ordered everyone to go to the kitchen to get as many buckets of water as they could carry. They all came carrying two buckets of water…that way, it would be faster to fill the bathtub

"Come on come on…" I hurried them, but not enough, because she was already at home. The girls were at the bathroom pouring the water into the bathtub, so she found me standing in the middle of the room…

"Hi…" She greeted me smiling slightly, but her eyes shone with magnificence, maybe she was in a good mood...I wished.

"You are early…" I accused her and she turned her head towards the sounds that came from bathroom with curiosity. In that moment the women came out of the bathroom in a row…I had been caught resoundingly. The anger became quite evident on her face. She frowned deeply and glared at them, her jaw was so clenched that I thought her teeth would brake…I looked at the service staff and their faces were filled with dread. No matter what, I could not allow her to pay her anger with them; it was my fault, so I would pay the consequences. Before the tension became more unbearable I tried to keep a light tone "Thank you very much girls…you can leave now and wait for me in the kitchen…" I smiled at them as if nothing was happening. They began to walk quite nervous; to reach the door, they had to pass by Alex's side, and she was as reluctant to move as a statue, a _very very very_ angry statue. When they left, the statue came to life to stare me with her darkened eyes…the good mood faded from her eyes

"What the hell was that?" She hissed through her tight teeth and her eyes were dark as coal

"I can explain…" I could barely hear my own voice

"How do you explain a parade of criminals in my room!?" She growled and I almost had to cover my ears because of her thundering voice. It was actually not an easy thing to explain. _I should have listened to Red…_

"Please…don't yell at me…and let me explain" She turned abruptly and went to the table with the liquors and began to pour some spirit in a glass; she was waiting for an answer "There were so many things to do and only two women on the service staff so I figured that I could use some of the prisoners to do a more efficient job…"

" _Prisoners…!"_ She turned around to face me again, her anger remained latent, but her tone was a little softer "They are prisoners Piper… _criminals_ …and you let them enter at their ease, and you were alone with them" She walked towards me "And if they had hurt you?"

"No, they wouldn't do that…" After having spent the day with them, the idea seemed inconceivable to me

"You don't know them! You have no idea what their crimes are…" She began to argue

"And I don't care! I should not judge them for their past…they are already paying for it, I just decided to give them an opportunity to show that they can be trustworthy…"

"You are not capable of doing such a decision…" _Was she calling me an incompetent?_

"And why not?" I asked her truly offended

"Because you are _too naïve_ …you would believe anything from anyone" Her words felt like a slap in my face "Like when you thought those men in the woods were going to help you…" I could not believe that she was throwing _that_ in my face

"So I'm stupid…is that what you mean?" I felt my face burning, I was totally abashed

"No…that's not…" She regretted her words immediately. She closed her eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of her nose infinitely before continuing speaking; this time with a calmer tone and looking into my eyes "That's not what I meant at all…It's just that you seem to…" She was very careful with the choice of words "… _ignore_ the worst of people…"

"And what's wrong with that?" In my opinion, it was better to ignore the worst of people than the best of them…

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with it…" She said ever so fondly and looked at me with a strange gesture that made my heart stir "All I'm saying is that you should be a little more cautious about who to trust…if you give away your trust so easily, people may take advantage of your good intentions and...you could only get hurt"

"So…what you suggest is that I should always distrust others…" that was against my beliefs

"Unfortunately…you should" She smiled at me sadly

"And what about you?" She frowned perplexed "Should I distrust you as well?" I demanded to know and in a gesture of ancient sadness she answered me a terrible thing

"Maybe I'm the one you should distrust the most" I reflected deeply on her words trying to discern what she had meant by that; everybody always used to say exactly the opposite words... _Trust me..._ why would she tell me otherwise? A smile surfaced on my lips after a long silence

"Do you realize that your words can only make me trust you more?" Her confession was too straightforward, only an honest person would tell you not to trust her

"Why in hell?" I had puzzled her

"I think you are the first person to ever tell me precisely not to trust her; that only makes you more reliable" She made a great effort not to smile at my crushing logic "Now the question is…do you trust me?" She didn't answer and just stared at me with a blank look, as if my question had been utterly unnecessary, of course she trusted me… "Then trust me with this decision. I know these women can mend their mistakes; all they need is someone who believes in them and does not judge them for their past crimes" She diverted her eyes from mine and squinted her eyes pondering my speech "Please…" That simple word seemed to break her reticence to accept my claim. She let out a heavy sigh…

"Fine…" She said sharply "But _please_ , be careful…" She warned me softly

"I will, I promise…" I assured her and we locked our eyes for an uncomfortable long silence "I have to light the fire in the bathroom, and heat the water…" I said suddenly to get away from her imprisoning gaze and headed to the bathroom. There, I finished preparing her bath…

"I like pretty hot water…" Her voice took me by surprise. I turned to the door to find her completely naked and approaching my way, I was standing next to the bathtub. I did not know where to look…

"Ammm… _I I…I_ think is pretty warm…my Lady…" I stammered. She got to my side and leaned forward to touch the surface of the water with the tip of her fingers

"Mmm…" She murmured in disapproval "A little warmer would be perfect, if you don't mind" She requested facing me very close. I had a hard time keeping my eyes fixed on the ground. Without a word, I picked up a bucket of water and poured it into the iron basin on the brazier, and waited for it to heat "I must say that you have done an incredible job today" She filled in the silence "Everything looks cleaner than ever…" I was glad that she appreciated my job

"Thank you, my Lady" I simply said, not daring to look at her. When the water was about to boil, I removed the basin from the fire and went to pour it into the bathtub. That time she seemed to approve the temperature

"Perfect…" And she began to enter very slowly into the bathtub. My eyes could not help a quick glance at her bareness. It was the second time I saw her naked, but I was as surprised by her perfection as the first time, when Sylvie almost caught me peeping her body through the slit of the ajar door making me drop a bucket of water. At a short distance I got to revere her in all her splendor. I had to admit, her body aroused a great curiosity in me, and her skin seemed so smooth that I fantasized about how it would feel to touch it. She was already settled on the bottom of the bathtub, but the water level did not cover her bountiful breasts. Again, the strange mark on her chest caught my attention; I was curious to know what had caused it, but of course, I wouldn't dare to ask…she suddenly cleared her throat, and to my great shame I realized that I had left my gaze fixed on her chest, and obviously, she had noticed too

"I'm so sorry" I apologized tremendously humiliated and looked away "Do you…do you need anything else?" I was beginning to feel really uncomfortable and I needed to get out of there

"No that'll be all; I won't have dinner tonight so, you can leave…" _Thank to heavens!_

"In that case...by your leave My Lady" I turned ready to run out of there…

"Oh and Piper…" I had to face her again out of respect. A roguish smile flourished in her lips "Have sweet dreams…" she wished me impishly arching a perfect eyebrow. I left the bathroom within a second; my face was about to catch on fire and the fresh air in the room pacified my heated state. She had left me completely stupefied…I ran outside the room and closed the large doors behind me, pressing my back against them and forced myself to catch some air… _Have sweet dreams…_ It was a pretty innocent thing to say, but the way she had said it bugged me the wrong way. I could only conclude that somehow she indeed knew that I had been dreaming of her…

That night, her lips were not the only part of her invading my dreams...


	24. Chapter 24

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Helloooo! This chapter took me a little longer for an obvious reason...is a long chapter XD The reason is that you will not hear of me for two weeks because I'm going on vacations (Finally! these last weeks have been truly chaotic) so I used the chapter I already had written and made it longer. When my short vacations are over, I will update a new LONG chapter, as a thank you for your waiting and patience ;)

 **CHAPTER XXIV (Alex's POV)**

"Last night I tried to talk to her…" Nicky chatted while we were patrolling through the woods "She told me she didn't want to talk about it…she was kind of upset…" I did not say anything so she went on after a while "I don't know Alex…What the hell were you thinking when you told her to be the housekeeper?" She asked puzzled "I thought you didn't want her to be your servant anymore…"

"And I don't…but it's what she wanted, what was I supposed to do?" I replied with a bored voice

"So that's it? From now on, she'll be just your housekeeper..." She deduced making me laugh softly

"I did not say such a thing…"

"Ohhh…you got something in your hands don't you?" I didn't respond but she kept talking anyway "So what's your plan? Waiting for her to fall in surrender at your feet?" She asked slightly amused, as if she thought it was an impossible thing to happen

"Don't you think that's possible?" I tried to ask without her noticing my lack of confidence

"Honestly…I have no idea" She chuckled a little "She's pretty unpredictable…but I've been watching her…" She dropped her words…

"And?" I urged her to go on with whatever she was going to say

"She _definitely_ feels something for you…" Nicky was watching me closely to assess my reaction before her words but I kept my eyes on the forest, trying to keep an impassive gesture, although my entire interior was transformed by that fact

"How can you be so sure of it?" I asked her after some seconds

"Oh come on!...Every time she sees you is as if the rest of the world around her ceases to exist…" Funny thing, because is exactly what happened to me with her "I'm telling you…she's into you, only that she doesn't know it yet"

"What do you mean?" I was curious about that last part

"She's too inexperienced…I think she doesn't know how to put a name to what you make her feel, since she has never felt it"

"I've never felt it…" I argued

"True, but you have too many years of countless experiences as not to understand that what you feel about her is different and unique…" I let the silence reign for a long moment, thinking deeply of everything Nicky had told me. If Piper had feelings for me, that only could make me more hopeful

"So…" I began after a while "How am I supposed to open her eyes?"

"There's not a magic formula Alex" Sadly for me...if it were, I would have used it already "Be patient, and she'll come around" _Be patient…Ha!_ "It's like with Lorna and me…" I had been listening for months about Lorna, comparing _my_ situation with Piper with _her_ situation with Lorna was quite discouraging

"What…did she come around already?" I mocked her earning me a deadly glare from her

"You know what?...Fuck you…" I laughed at her anger

"I'm sorry…" I regretted immediately to joke about that subject, so ticklish for her. I felt bad too because lately I was so focused on my problems that all we did was talking about me…"Now seriously, how are things going with her?"

"Arrgghhh…she says she's going to marry this guy… _Christopher…_ " She began talking obviously in need to drain "But I know she's just doing it because is the easy thing to do…" She got quiet for several seconds "I've been thinking about asking her to come with me…to the Shadow Lands" Her words sounded uncertain, as if she were asking for my authorization…

"You know you don't need my _permission_ right?"

"Yeah…I know…" She took on a serious manner "I just…wanted your _blessings_ " We both laughed at that

We continue riding with the aim of reaching the western limit of my lands, the closest to the castle. There, we met once a week with executioners of nearby lands who brought dangerous convicts for me. In other lands, the death penalty was widely applied for people like them, so they were giving the choice of serving me. I mostly used them as workforce for the mines of the Shadow Lands. In return for the prisoners, I assigned them a monthly supply of coal, iron and others. A few leagues from the usual meeting point I felt something pulling me back. I was familiar with the sensation, but I did not understand why was happening then…I forced my horse come to a halt as I could not continue

"Alex?" Nicky stopped when she noticed that I was not following her "What's going on?" _I have no idea_

"You go on…someone needs me…" I told her

"Oh…alright" She agreed without suspecting that something was wrong

"Wait for me at home with the prisoners…" It was not the first time she had to deal with the trade alone. I turned around and galloped in another direction, looking for another point of the boundaries of the Shadow Lands. About to reach another point north of where I was with Nicky, I felt it again, something drawing me back… _But there is still a stretch to reach the limit…_ I could not overcome the force that pulled me and understood what was happening _._ The Shadow Lands were withdrawing, I was losing grounds; that's why I could not go further. The reality frightened me, as that was the first clear proof that my end was near and although I had already accepted my fate, I couldn't help but being scared. I rode a wide path bordering some limits to assess the _damage…_ I calmed down a little when I noticed that there were areas that had yet not retracted. At some point, I had to go back to the castle; Nicky for sure was already on her way with the prisoners. I found her on the main road, with a carriage that was actually a large wooden box with the prisoners locked up

"Hey…" She greeted me when I got to her side with my horse "There are twenty-three"

"Uhm" I slightly approved the number

"How was the deal…?" She asked tacking me aback

"The deal?" I asked her confused

"Yes…you said someone was calling you…" she reminded me

"Ohhh _that_ deal…It was… _nothing_ …they were not willing to pay the price and made me waste my time" I could tell by her face that she knew something was wrong, but she didn't insist and let it be

Once in the castle, we headed to the towers closest to the mines and proceeded to judge each prisoner. It was a common thing to find an innocent person who had been judged unfairly. That day was not the case. All twenty-three had been properly condemned. Staring into their eyes and seeing their rotten souls to know the things they had done was something that never failed to impress me, in the worst way of course. I left Nicky in charge of the rest, feeling an impetuous need to see _her_ after the dreadful images that I had just witnessed. I went to my room hoping to find her in there, and there she was

"Hi…" I saw into her eyes and immediately forgot about the misery in the world

"You are early…" She said with a weird expression. I turned my head towards the sounds that were coming from the bathroom… _What's going on?_ I wondered. A woman came out of my bathroom with two empty buckets…and then another…three, four, five, six, seven, eight… _eight!_ Not eight women…eight prisoners, I realized by their clothes "Thank you very much girls…you can leave now and wait for me in the kitchen…" Piper said overly kind. The women were terrified by my presence and walked towards the door quite reluctant to approach my way. Once they were gone I faced her to ask her…

"What the hell was that?" It was difficult to pronounce the words with my jaw about to explode

"I can explain…" She said clearly afraid…and she better be, I was really pissed off

"How do you explain a parade of criminals in my room!" I demanded to know not able to contain the anger

"Please…don't yell at me…and let me explain" I did not like her expression of fear. I turned away from her to pour myself a drink and give her some space "There were so many things to do and only two women on the service staff, so I figured that I could use some of the prisoners to do a more efficient job…"

"Prisoners…!" I faced her again and started walking over her "They are prisoners Piper… _criminals_ …and you let them enter at their ease, and you were alone with them" I thought the worst "And if they had hurt you?"

"No, they wouldn't do that…" She innocently said

"You don't know them! You have no idea what their crimes are…"

"And I don't care! I should not judge them for their past…they are already paying for it, I just decided to give them an opportunity to show that they can be trustworthy…" How could someone be so trusting?

"You are not capable of doing such a decision…"

"And why not?" She asked irritated

"Because you are _too naïve_ …you would believe anything from anyone…Like when you thought those men in the woods were going to help you…" I had to remind her for her to understand my point

"So I'm stupid…is that what you mean?" But of course, she took it in the worst way

"No…that's not…" That was the last thing I would ever think about her. How much I hated myself every time I hurt her somehow. I closed my eyes and brought my thumb and index finger to the bridge of my nose, thinking how I could retrieve my words. I appeased my anger before talking to her again "That's not what I meant at all…It's just that you seem to…" I was looking for a word that would not insult her "… _ignore_ the worst of people…"

"And what's wrong with that?" She couldn't understand my point as she had never seen the things I had

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with it…" In fact, it was her most beautiful treat, her soul devoid of malice; is what made her so perfect "All I'm saying is that you should be a little more cautious about who to trust…if you give away your trust so easily, people may take advantage of your good intentions and…you could only get hurt"

"So…what you suggest is that I should always _distrust_ others…" She did not sound too convinced

"Unfortunately…you should" I needed her to grasp my advise; after all, I was not going to be there to protect her forever

"And what about you?" _What about me?_ "Should I distrust you as well?" She asked me slightly saddened. I remembered all the times that I had let her down and hurt her since she had arrived

"Maybe I'm the one you should distrust the most" The truth came to my lips inadvertently. She frowned momentarily, maybe a little confused by my words, but out of nowhere she relaxed the space between her eyebrows and smiled in that way of hers that melted my insides

"Do you realize that your words can only make me trust you more?" She said

"Why in hell?" In fact, she was pretty unpredictable, as Nicky had told me that morning. I did not understand how her mind worked

"I think you are the first person to ever tell me precisely not to trust her; that only makes you more reliable" I could not resist her reasoning… _She is anything but stupid…_ I thought with pride "Now the question is…do you trust me?" I stared at her, as if someone could distrust her "Then trust me with this decision. I know these women can mend their mistakes; all they need is someone who believes in them and does not judge them for their past crimes" Maybe… _maybe…_ she had a point. And how could I refuse? She had given me that same opportunity after accepting my several apologies. She had given me the chance to show her that I could be better, after treating her so terribly in the past "Please…" she said, as if I needed more reasons to abide by with her wishes…I sighed at my weakened willpower

"Fine…" I complied "But _please_ , be careful…"

"I will, I promise…" She guaranteed and a quiet silence filled in the room. We stared into each other's eyes…How much I would have loved to kiss her in that precise moment "I have to light the fire in the bathroom, and heat the water…" She said awkwardly and went to the bathroom without giving me time to respond. I started to undress and once I was stripped of my clothes I headed there

"I like pretty hot water…" I let her know walking towards the bathtub. She turned to me when she heard my voice and in less than a second diverted her gaze to the bathtub

"Ammm… _I I…I_ think is pretty warm…my Lady…" She stuttered fretfully. I suspected that my nudity had been the cause of such a reaction. I stopped by her side and leaned to test the water's temperature with my hand, getting closer to her to annoy her

"Mmm…" I complained slightly "A little warmer would be perfect, if you don't mind" I told her facing her, although she kept her head completely lowered. Without a word, she proceeded to heat some water. I kept making some conversation "I must say that you have done an incredible job today" I had to give her credit for her job "Everything looks cleaner than ever…" I did not exaggerate the fact for her sake, I was truly impressed

"Thank you, my Lady" She said timidly while she came back with the heated water to pour it into the bathtub carefully. I again dipped my fingers in the water…

"Perfect…" Though she kept her chin pointing to the floor, not daring to look up, the slight movement of her eyes did not go unnoticed by me. She was watching me, and not in a very subtle manner. I entered into the bathtub deliberately little by little, attentive to her reaction. Her sight was fixed on my bare chest. I cleared my throat after being fully inside the bathtub to let her know I was pretty aware that she was observing me, with the sole purpose of taking pleasure from her embarrassment

"I'm so sorry" She said uncomfortably looking away "Do you…do you need anything else?" How much I enjoyed her discomfort, but I felt a little sorry for her more than evident anguish

"No that'll be all; I won't have dinner tonight so, you can leave" It had been enough fun for today so I dismissed her

"In that case…by your leave my Lady" Her feet were already pointing towards the exit, ready to fly

"Oh and Piper…" I couldn't help messing with her just a little more "Have sweet dreams…" _Yes that's right, I know your little secret, I know about your dreams…_ Her heart almost exploded and she turned red like a tomato and left the bathroom hastily leaving me floating with delight

The next morning I was actually not expecting her to be so punctual. When I got to my room from the library, she was already setting the table with my breakfast…

"No oversleeping today uh?" I startled her

"Good morning my Lady…" I was beginning to worry about her constant blushes…

"Good morning" I replied casually while taking a seat. She immediately turned her attention to other tasks; she began to pick up my clothes scattered around the room and selecting from the closet my outfit for the day "I'll stay at home for the day" I let her know but she said nothing about it and proceeded to make the bed. Since she did not know that I did not sleep, I had purposely disorganized the bed. Nicky appeared in the middle of my breakfast

"Hello Piper…" She greeted her before greeting me…

"Good morning Nicky…" She said too formal "Would you like to have breakfast too?"

"Uhhhh…no…that's not necessary" Nicky was taken aback by her methodic offering and took a sit by my side. She looked at me and asked me mutely " _What's wrong with her_?" I just smiled at her and shrugged "Anyway…" She said out loud this time "I'm going to the village…I wondered if you needed anything"

"The village?" Piper chimed in "Can I come with you?" Nicky sought for my eyes for confirmation and I shook my head in denial ever so slightly

"Ummm…the truth is that, I'm only going to visit Lorna" I could see how hard it was for Nicky to lie "I don't think it's a good idea that she sees us together after what happened the last time" Nicky had already told me that little story

"Oh…alright" I could not see her face because she was behind my back, but disappointment was clear in her voice. I felt sorry for depriving her of going to the village, but selfishly I did not want her to leave my side. Nicky glared at me when she got the chance, I knew she was also feeling bad for denying Piper to come with her

"No Nicky…I don't need anything from the village…Thank you very much" I answered her initial question

"Alright then…I better get going" She stood up "…see you later then. Bye Piper!"

"Bye Nicky…" She replied without much enthusiasm. With just the two of us, the room seemed to be flooding with tension. I did not know how to start a conversation with her

"Market day is in two weeks…" She had missed the last one because she was still recovering "You can go then…" I assured her standing from the chair to face her

"I shouldn't have asked anyway" She shook her head looking at the floor

"Why?" I asked puzzled

"I should have asked you before asking Nicky…I'm sorry my Lady" Her self-imposed submissiveness was starting to irritate me. No matter what I did or said to her, she was determined to put as much distance as she could between us

"You have to stop doing that!" I harshly told her

"Doing what?" Finally! At least I had made her look up

"Behave so formally around me…" I accused her "If you say _my Lady_ again I think my head is going to explode"

"Is not that how you liked to be called by Sylvie when she was the housekeeper?" She retorted annoyingly

"You are not Sylvie!" How could she compare herself with Sylvie? "I think _we_ are over that kind of formalisms…" I kept talking before I got interrupted by her "...your attitude is only making the whole situation really uncomfortable…"

"I'm making the situation uncomfortable?!" She replied in disbelief

"Yes!" _Who else?_

"You are just…" Her face became red, but that time with rage "Remarkably annoying!" She yelled at me and stormed out of the room, but I could not let her go like that. I caught her in the hallway, getting in her way…

"No…wait!" I grabbed her tenderly by her forearms trying to stop her without really forcing her to do so "We need to talk…" She got out of my soft grip roughly

"I told you I don't want to talk about it anymore…" She kept walking impetuously pushing me out of her way

"I'm sorry!" I appeared in front of her again and grabbed her with more force than before, of course, without hurting her "I don't know what else to do or say to make things the same as before…" She stopped fighting me so I let her go, but she refused to look up… "I could tell you that I wish that night had never happened, but if I'm honest, that would be a blatant lie because…I regret nothing about it" That's how I ended up being the first to drop the farce, I had lost my own game "The only thing I regret is…that you don't feel the same as me" She raised her sight. Her face was conflicted and her eyes shone with tears about to fall

"You have no idea of what I feel" She said to me bitterly

"I think I do" I smiled at her fondly "You seem to be the one who refuses to _accept_ what you feel" she lowered her slightly blushed face, even so, she seemed quite willing to listen to me so I could not let the opportunity slip away from my hands "And that's alright…if you want to stand by the silly prejudices and nonsense they have taught you throughout your life and refuse to form your own opinion about what's right and wrong, be my guest. But that would seem to me like a tremendous waste of life" she said nothing "All I ask is to keep a friendly relationship at least…to be able to talk with you about anything as we used to do, and leave behind this ridiculous distant behavior between us…" _Maybe_ I could settle for that, because I definitely could not continue like we were "I…I really miss you" I finished. Before her indisposition to speak after several seconds, I walked by her and back to my room, closing the doors behind me and waiting to the last moment to hear her voice, which didn't happen. I felt I had just made everything worse. I waited with great anguish in the library, waiting to hear from her. At lunch time I hoped she would appear with my meal. When the library's door got opened my stomach stirred fiercely…

"Nicky…" I couldn't hide my disappointment

"It's good to see you too…" She said annoyed by my greeting

"I'm sorry I thought you were Piper…" I explained "You are back early…" The journey was long, but a single person with a horse could reach the village and be back quite quickly; still, I would have thought that she was going to be out a little longer

"Yeah well…" She let herself drop into an armchair by my side, as if she could no longer contain her weight "We could not talk for too long, her family is overly controlling"

"What did you talk about?"

"I told her that I love her…"

"Whoa…that was a bold thing to do Nicky…" I had to recognize, and I even felt proud of her "And what did she say?"

"That she loves me back…" She said sadly

"Then what's your problem?" I asked irritated...I wished _that_ was my problem with Piper

"She says she can't tell her family about it; she is going to marry this stupid guy anyway… _Christopher_ " She said with disgust

"Do you want me to kill him?" I joked. She could ask me and I could do it, but I knew she was a fair person, she wouldn't dare

"Don't tempt me…" I really did not know what to say to her, I was not very good with these situations

"She'll come around" I just told her the same thing she had told me and laughed softly

"Asshole" She muttered "I know she will, she's just playing hard to get…Oh! by the way…" She searched for something inside of her coat and took out a folded paper "There was a letter, I think the stamp is from the High Lands" She handed me the letter so that I could examine the stamp, and in fact it was from the High Lands

"Yes it is…"

"I'll take it to Piper" She reached for the letter but I withdrew my hand unconsciously

"No…you won't" I forbid her strictly

"Alex?" She said slyly looking into my eyes "Are _you_ going to give her the letter?"

"What if…reading about her home makes her change her mind about staying?" I asked her with dread

"I don't know…" She recognized after a moment "But I honestly don't think her decision is going to change only for a letter, and definitely you would not set a good precedent hiding that kind of things from her…" Again she tried to retrieve the letter from my hands but I kept it closer to my chest. She knew she could not fight me to get it back "You know what? I know you'll do the right thing because, if you are meant to be together she'll stay above whatever that letter says, and…if that letter makes her change her mind then so be it, but you'll definitely don't want the burden of hiding it from her. Whatever you decide, I won't say a word to her" I thought endlessly about it under Nicky's fastidious eyes

"Fine…I'll give her the letter…" I accepted with sorrow

"That's the smartest thing to do" In that moment we heard a slight knock on the door

"Come in…" I said out loud...Piper lingered at the entrance

"Your lunch is ready…" She did not say _my Lady…_ that was a huge improvement

"Thank you" I told her with a tight smile "Nicky will join me for lunch. I'm sorry I didn't let you know earlier"

"It's alright…" Obviously she didn't mind to go back to the kitchen

"If you want to…you could join us… _if_ you want to" _How many times are you going to say 'if you want to' you idiot!_

"Oh…thank you but I already ate"

"Maybe another time" I proposed hopefully

"Maybe…" She said after a moment of considering my words "I'll be right back…" And she went to the kitchen

"Whoa, that was _terribly_ awkward" Nicky said astonished once Piper was out of hearing "What the hell is wrong with both of you? That was as uncomfortable as a cushion stuffed with nails" I glared at her and headed to my room.

During lunch, I explained Nicky everything that happened that morning during her absence, after which, she only concluded with an annoyed tone that we were both idiots, and focused all her attention on the food, unwilling to give me more advice. The rest of the afternoon I spent it watching carefully the piece of paper with the king's stamp. For a second I even considered to open it and read its content, but I thought that would not help to calm my nerves, I knew I had to give her the letter no matter what it said. In the late afternoon, I heard some noise coming from my room. I headed to the door and opened it slightly to observe her giving instructions to the prisoners to fill the bathtub…

"Could you explain to me…" I began talking when the women were gone, moving into the room "Why on earth do you need eight people to fill a bathtub?" It bothered me to see all those women wandering around my quarters…

"I think is the most effective way to do it…It only takes them one trip, and no one is forced to carrying too much weight for too long…" Of course she was thinking about being kind with them

"You are not supposed to make their lives easy"

"I guess I got carried away by my personal experience when I had to make several trips with buckets of water for your bath" Although her words were not delivered in an accusatory tone, I could not help a pang of guilt for that "I don't think anybody deserves to do such efforts when there are easier ways to do it" She slightly criticized, hardening her face a little. I had no right to oppose her judgment after that

"I'm sorry for questioning your decisions…" Despite I did not like the idea of the prisoners, I had already told her that I trusted her with that specific subject, so I would have to make a great effort to contain my opinion about it

"It's alright..." She accepted my apologies "The water for your bath is ready, as you like it. I'll go to the kitchen to bring your dinner" She informed me politely, still, I could sense a conciliatory tone

"Have you had dinner yet?" I asked her before she left the room

"No…I haven't" She said unwillingly. Maybe she knew already what I was going to ask her

"Would you like to share the table with me?" I left the choice in her hands, and she was out of excuses to refuse my offer, unless she told me openly that she did not want to...that would have been devastating

"Yes…" She said after what seemed an eternity "I would like to…" She smiled tenderly to me. I was totally not expecting her to say yes

"Alright…" I didn't want to seem too excited, so I kept a casual demeanor "I'll go and take my bath…and I'll see you right after…" She just nodded and headed out of the room

When I finished, I left the bathroom wearing my gown, as I did not want to make her uncomfortable again with my nakedness; that could only ruin our dinner. She was setting the table…

"What's for dinner?" I said out loud for her to acknowledge my presence, and not to startle her

"Red made her special meat pie…" Red could have cooked anything she wanted, I just needed something to start talking. I got to the table and offered her to take a sit with a motion of my hand

"I'll take care from here…" I told her. I poured the wine first and then proceeded to cut the pie and put a generous slice on both plates, after which, I took my usual seat and raised my glass to toast wordlessly. She did the same… "I'm really curious about something" I said after the first sip of wine to break the ice "How is Red dealing with eight prisoners in her kitchen?" I asked her jokingly and she laughed unreservedly

"She does not take her eyes off them and keeps hiding her knives...and telling me that I'm crazy"

"And how have they behaved so far?" I was entranced observing every one of her gestures

"They seem quite grateful about their new situation and very willing to comply with any order"

"It could not be otherwise if you are the one dictating such orders…" She knit her eyebrows in denial. I realized how difficult it was for her to accept any compliment

"Not that much…it took me a lot of work to convince them to bring the water to your room…they are afraid of you…" She rolled her eyes charmingly

"They better be…" I said firmly "That way they'll think about it twice before stepping out of the line"

We started eating and exchanging small phrases mostly about the food. It was not an uncomfortable situation; on the contrary, the moments of silence were even soothing. I noticed that she seemed to relax a little bit with each sip of wine, so I was careful to keep her glass constantly full…

"Could you stop doing that?" She said suddenly, her face slightly blushed and her eyes fixed on the plate in front of her

"Doing what?" I had no clue of what she was talking about. She took a deep breath as to keep her manners

"Never mind" She took a big gulp of wine…I got alert trying to understand her behavior and began to suspect that she was uncomfortable after all, not relaxed as I had thought… _Am I doing something wrong?_ "You are staring at me!" She blurted out as if she had heard my inner question

"Excuse me?" I was astonished by her accusation

"It's kind of rude…" She said conceited, with the trace of a princely education

"I am not staring at you…" I said with little conviction, because on second thought, I recognized that I had been watching her intently in an unconscious way

"I know what you are trying to do…and I'm telling you, it's not going to work on me..." She continued with her petulant voice... _You little presumptuous thing_...

"What the hell are you talking about?" And how the hell did her mind work?

"Oh come on! As if you did not know!" Then she locked her eyes with mine. She seemed slightly angry, but I thought I saw the hint of a smile on her lips

"I'm really sorry but…I have no idea of what you mean" I said trying really hard not to smile, I was completely mesmerized by her anger, that I found so endearing

"The effect you cause on others when you look at them like this!" I knew about it, but I was not aware that I had been causing any effect on her. I narrowed my eyes considering her words for a while...we still kept our eyes fixed on each other

"I find it _quite_ interesting that it works on you…" I said after a while and smiled blatantly and she diverted her eyes from me

"This was a terrible idea" She made a gesture to get up from the table, but I curled my fingers firmly around her right wrist

"No no no! Don't leave!" I begged with panic keeping her at the table "I was totally unaware of what I was doing…it's really hard to keep my eyes off you" I pitifully confessed "I'm so sorry, _please_ …" I was about to get on my knees but it was not necessary. Her anger vanished really quickly to my surprise "I'll behave…I promise" I let her wrist free form my grip "…I won't even look at you" I turned my torso away from her to show her how serious I was

"You don't have to do _that_ " She said in a low voice. I smiled internally because apparently each time I got to know her a little better...If I ran to the opposite direction, I dragged her to meet me halfway. I repositioned myself in the chair and smiled at her. Again, the air between us was peaceful

"So…what's for dessert?" I said casually resuming our cordial conversation. Talking about food seemed the safest topic to do so

"Ammm, I don't know…" She reached the lid of the dessert bowl to inspect its content and let it fall noisily "Ooops…I'm sorry" She was about to pick up the lid from the floor but I noticed her clumsy movements; the wine was rising to her head

"Leave it there…I'll pick it up later" I told her and she immediately focused her attention on the dessert

"…Lemon cake!" She exclaimed clearly excited about it… _Yes, definitely she has had enough wine…_ I thought with delight

"You like lemon cake…" I said while she clumsily served the plates with the slices of cake

"I _looove_ lemon cake…" She corrected and took a big bite of it with her hands and started chewing between sounds of contentment

"You can have mine too if you are so fond of it…" I pushed my plate towards her

"You don't like lemon cake?" Her face was aghast, as if I had killed a puppy

"You seem to enjoy it more than me…that's all" The truth is that I found myself enjoying the sounds she was making

"Mmmmm, this is _so_ good…" She finished her portion and looked at me to ask "Are you really not going to eat yours?"

" _Please_ … _enjoy_ _yourself_ " I said with mischief but she did not notice my innuendo. And she took my portion, involuntarily delighting me with the cacophony of pleasure that emanated from her for another short time because too soon, the cake was over "I can go to the kitchen for another piece if you want to" I offered her with wickedness

"Oh no…I couldn't hold another bite…" She answered completely oblivious to my tone. I had never found her so appealing.

"Would you like more wine?" I asked her… _Please have more…_ My intention was harmless. I only wanted to explore the uninhibited part of her. She considered my words looking her empty glass

"I...I don't think I should…I'm feeling a little foggy already" Of course she was feeling foggy…I had refilled her glass whenever I could…"And I still have to carry all these things to the kitchen"

"Don't worry about it…I'll take care of it…" I was not going to let her to do such thing in her slightly drunken state

"Really?" She asked with doubt

"Absolutely...you should probably get some rest…" I suggested noticing her heavy eyelids

"Yes, I'm feeling suddenly tired…" She agreed to it

"I've got something for you…" I said before she left; the moment of truth had come…I went to the library to get the damn letter that could ruin everything. I was back in an instant and handed her the envelop

"What is this?" She asked in bewilderment

"Nicky got it from the Village…it's from the High Lands so I assumed it was for you" Her face lit up at once

"Thank you…" she said smiling at me tenderly, and I returned the gesture sadly. She folded the paper and put it in the front pocket of her attire before standing from the table. When she did, she lost a little her balance

"Whoooa! Easy there!" I got her on time and she giggled wonderfully

"I got up too quickly" She justified her loss of balance with exquisite refinement, like a lady that could never recognize that she had drunk too much

"I'd better take you to your room, I don't want accidents on the stairs" She agreed to it nodding silently clinging to my forearms. In the blink of an eye we were standing right at her door. She leaned her back against it and I stood in front of her. The oil lamps from the hallway provided us an intimate light, but I could see in detail each one of her facial gestures. She was looking at me in a funny way "What?" I asked her inquisitive

"I'm sorry…" She whispered lowering her eyes, but keeping her face straight

"Why are you sorry for this time?" I asked her tenderly

"I have been truly unfair to you" I sensed her intention to go on so I said nothing and let her speak "I blamed you for what happened the other night and the truth is, I'm also partly to blame because…if I wanted to stop you I could have done it and... _I didn't_ " She dropped her voice...

"Why didn't you stop me?" I wondered barely whispering getting closer to her; I did not want her to stop talking…I felt the skin of her face getting warmer and the tempo of her heart increasing markedly, her breathing leaving her lips and heating the little space between us. I could not move…she raised her eyes again nailing me in place with her penetrating gaze full with confidence… _I like this Piper…_ her eyes lingered on my lips for a moment

" _Jump_..." She barely whispered. I did not have time to ask her what she meant by that, because suddenly she assaulted my lips with her mouth, as if she could not contain a second more. She kissed me desperately as if my lips were lemon cake, although the sounds coming from the depths of her throat were much more elaborated than with the cake... _I should have given her wine before_ I thought. I tasted the sweetness of the dessert that remained on the rim of her lips and the slight sourness of the wine in her much bolder tongue. I pushed her against the door needing more contact with her heat; when I did so, she let out a deep intake of breath charged with arousal breaking the contact with my lips, but she sought for them without delay moaning heavily and pushing her tongue into my mouth. My hands caressed her back vigorously, bringing her closer to me while hers were delicately holding me by my waist, the tip of her fingers buried slightly on my skin

"Alex" She broke the kiss momentarily to murmur my name so utterly unrestrained that I knew I had to stop, knowing that she was obviously affected by alcohol. What supernatural force came into me at that moment to withdraw my lips from hers…I'll never know. When she sensed me moving slightly away from her, she clutched her hands to my waist, refusing to leave me walk away. I placed my hand on her cheek lovingly and her face denoted perplexity. I looked deeply into her eyes and smiled

"You better…go to sleep" I warned her playfully. She got out of her drunken state in a second. She dropped her hands to her sides "Wine might be clouding your judgment...I don't want you to do something that you can later regret..." I explained further, not wanting her to feel rejected

"I'm so sorry…I don't know what I was thinking…" She was appalled by her behavior. I felt the heat of her skin increasing under my hand and wanted to appease her embarrassment

" _Please_ …don't be sorry for _this_ " I told her tenderly and laughed softly grabbing her face firmly between my hands pulling her face towards me to capture her lips once more for a short but intense moment "Goodnight…" I told firmly, to remind me that I _had_ to leave her...

"Goodnight" She whispered in a dazzle. But how much I wanted to stay and enjoy her in that unashamed form... _No Alex...no!..._ it was not right to go on. Since when did I care about doing the right thing?

"…have sweet dreams" I wished her and to my surprise a broad smile appeared on her face

"I will…" She even dared to confirm that in fact, she was counting on it. That was just too much for me and if I did not leave immediately I would commit some madness, so I disappeared and went back to my room, getting away from temptation quickly…and what a temptation! I even felt proud of my willpower. Waiting until next day it was going to be the most insufferable thing I'd ever done. I could only hope that the events of the night and the letter will not make her change her mind; I could go through anything but seeing her walking away from me…

 **P.S.:** See you in two weeks from today! I'll come back with recharged batteries to continue with the story and my habitual rhythm ;) Best Regards! Thank you so much for reading! Love you!


	25. Chapter 25

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'M ALIIIIIVEEEE! barely...if you want to know about why on earth it took me sooooo long to update, I explained my reasons on the comment section XD. But here I am! a week later but I had my reasons. First of all, thank you so much for your incredible patience. I had left this chapter in the middle of the writing but I was finally able to finish it. On it we'll see Piper's POV and explain a little the things that happened on the previous chapter, with some new material starting from the middle of the chapter. For the next two chapter, I will not repeat the information from both POV. That is, the next chapter (26) will start exactly where the 25 ends, and the same for the 27, which means, two chapters of 100% new developments and progress in the plot, as a reward for your invaluable support :)

 **CHAPTER XXV (Piper's POV)**

"I…I really miss you" Was the last thing she said… _I miss you too…_ I wanted to tell her badly but I was unable to assemble a single word. Her words had left me disorientated in the middle of the hallway. My whole body wanted to follow her when she started walking away but there was something stronger keeping me in place... _Fear…_ I was terrified to recognize the truth; to recognize that she was right and that she seemed to understand what I was feeling better than myself. Frustrated by my cowardice, I ran to my room barely holding the tears that were beginning to pool in my eyes.

I repeated over and over again her words in my head… _You seem to be the one who refuses to accept what you feel and that's alright…if you want to stand by the silly prejudices and nonsense they have taught you throughout your life and refuse to form your own opinion about what's right and wrong, be my guest. But that would seem to me like a tremendous waste of life…_

Was she right about my prejudices? Had my family somehow conditioned my mind as they did with my life? I suspected yes; nothing in my life had ever belonged to me, everything had been imposed, even my opinion if I thought about it. So, after all, it was possible that my reluctance to face my feelings was because I had been deprived of the ability to think for myself, deciding instead to think that my feelings were wrong, as I had been taught. Since I was a little girl, I had always been told about marrying with a great prince or a respectable Lord; those were my only options, the _right_ options. The thought that two woman could be together would have never crossed my mind if were not for Nicky explaining me her feelings for Lorna, and then, after my first moment of shock, I had understood the simplicity of her words. When I was older, once I had been engaged to Larry, they talked to me about more serious issues, like the importance of marriage and the sacred union between a man and a woman and only after obtaining permission in the eyes of the gods, the consummation of the marriage would come on the wedding night, a night that I had dreaded every day since our engagement. Everything that happened between us before that night would be frowned upon, which is why each one of his visits would be fully supervised by my governess, _just in case_ , although it seemed extremely unnecessary to me, as I never felt tempted to do those _forbidden_ things with Larry…but with _her…_

She had made me break every single rule that had been imposed on me, and nothing had ever made me feel so free. I had shared the same bed with a woman…out of matrimony _obviously_ ; it was… _it was outrageous!_ And yet, I could not stop thinking about how wonderful it had been. My poor mind could have never imagined the scrumptious sensations she had caused in me; I had never experienced anything like that. Just the things I was feeling right then deep in my guts just thinking about her, were completely unfamiliar to me.

The only time I had felt anything remotely similar, it had been a long time ago; I would be about nine years old. One morning, I was determined to go with my brothers to the outskirts of the castle to jump off the cliffs, a very common thing to do among the children of the town. Of course, I had to dress like a boy to go unnoticed. At first, I only observed them jumping into the water and challenging each other to see who managed to jump from higher and higher. Out of curiosity, I looked out from the highest rock, where my younger brother Cal stood at the edge of the cliff crying unable to jump

"It's not _that_ high…" I said, in an attempt to cheer him up

"Why don't you jump then?" My older brother Danny told me but some good sense in me warned me not to do it, so I did not fall to provocations

"Yeah…what are you…a little _girl_?" A boy told me, and then, it became personal…I had something to prove

"Watch me…" I pushed Cal aside and took position on the big rock on the edge of the abyss; my perspective changed completely…it was _really_ high. My heart was beating so fast and my hands were sweating uncontrollably. I thought the whole thing was a terrible mistake, but the kids were watching me and my pride forced me to go on with the madness. I had never felt such paralyzing fear in my life, my limbs were utterly numb… _Jump Piper…jump!...JUMP!..._ I forced myself to do it and my feet were suddenly in the air and in barely seconds, I was sunken into the water. _It's done! I did it!_ I thought while opening my eyes underwater. I swam to the surface and took a deep breath of air and heard the cheers of the children for my courage. I had lost my hat in the fall, so they realize that I was in fact, a little girl, but the cheers did not cease. The feeling was exhilarating and I could not wait to do it over and over again, and no matter how many times I stood on the edge, fear did not seem to weaken; but it was a fear I was willing to endure as countless times as necessary because, what came after it, was totally worth it.

That same kind of fear I felt when I thought of her, only magnified thousands of times, clenching my stomach and something always crawling in my belly. The same fear I had felt the first time she had kissed me and when we were in bed together, and every time she was around. She kept me constantly on the edge ready to jump, hands sweating, my heart racing like crazy, my mind warning me about how insane everything was but my whole body urging me to do it. And what the hell was stopping me from doing it? If I had given up my previous life why should I care about rules at that point? I dropped myself into bed and observed the ceiling and pondered deeply on the subject. She had told me to form my _own_ opinion… _my own opinion about what's right and wrong…_ If I put aside all that I had been taught and defined me as the person I was at that moment, I could not find anything wrong about it. But I could not simply forget eighteen years of education; moreover, why should I doubt the values my family had taught me? They would only want what was best for me; I couldn't doubt their intentions

The real question was…could I doubt _her_ intentions? Looking back, our relationship had had many setbacks, but since we left the bad things behind I could not say that I doubted her. She had encouraged me to do things that I had never been allowed to do so, like reading books on topics that I had been forbidden from reading, or giving me the power of making important decisions like those of the service staff, making me feel I had some control over something for the first time in my life, she even gave me the opportunity to go home. She had given me complete control of _our_ situation as well. She did not try to make me change my mind or conditioning my thinking as everyone had always done with me. Then, why should I distrust her?... _Because she told you exactly to do so…_ A little voice reminded me, nevertheless, I ignored it because her real advice had been that I should not trust _anyone,_ not only in her.

 _All I ask is to keep a friendly relationship at least…to be able to talk with you about anything as we used to do, and leave behind this ridiculous distant behavior between us…_ That was her request. It's all she was asking; it was not that hard, there were no _wrongs_ or _rights_ in a friendship so maybe I could try at least _that_ for the moment, to amend our friendship and trying really hard not to think on the other subject. But I was not sure about how to let her know that I was willing to fix our relationship, maybe I would talk to her openly when I had the chance.

Lunch seemed a good time to do so. I even prepared a speech, but when I stood at her door I could not find the courage to go into her room and lingered at the hallway repeating every word I was going to say.

"Don't be ridiculous" I told to myself and walked in. She was nowhere around so I placed the tray with her meal on the table and went to the library, knowing for sure that's where she would be. I heard voices so I decided to knock on the door first…

"Come in…" I heard her say and my stupid heart skipped a beat. I opened the door but I did not enter. I would have wanted to talk to her but Nicky was there

"Your lunch is ready…" I avoided saying _my Lady_ , letting her know subtly that I had considered her words

"Thank you" I thought she was making a huge effort to keep a straight face "Nicky will join me for lunch. I'm sorry I didn't let you know earlier"

"It's alright…" I knew she would not make me work twice on purpose

"If you want to…you could join us…if you want to" She repeated awkwardly

"Oh…thank you but I already ate" I don't know why I lied; I guess she took me off guard. I felt sorry for her more than evident disillusionment

"Maybe another time" She suggested with a hint of hope and _that_ I could not deny it to her

"Maybe…" I agreed and we had nothing more to say. The awkward silences were becoming pretty frequent and I hated them "I'll be right back…" I headed to the kitchen to bring more food and then left them alone. At dusk, I ordered the service staff to bring water for the lady's bath. I had a hard time trying to convince them that nothing wrong was going to happen to them. In the end, they did as I asked them unwillingly. For their great relief, Alex was not in her room, so they prepared the bath at ease. I made sure they heated the water this time, so she would not ask me to do so and I could avoid her… _nakedness…_ It would be a good idea to avoid such situations in order to keep a friendly relationship. The girls left the room and I was about to look for her in the library but it was not necessary as she was already in the room…

"Could you explain to me…" She began talking, taking me by surprise. Her stealthy ways never ceased to amaze me "Why on earth do you need eight people to fill a bathtub?" I sensed some annoyance in her voice

"I think is the most effective way to do it…it only takes them one trip, and no one is forced to carrying too much weight for too long" I reasoned

"You are not supposed to make their lives easy" I remembered how hard my life had been doing those tasks

"I guess I got carried away by my personal experience when I had to make several trips with buckets of water for your bath" I had to remind her, so she could understand my reasons "I don't think anybody deserves to do such efforts when there are easier ways to do it" I did not like throwing those memories to her face, and the change on her facial features made me regret my words. I knew how sorry she was for those things; it was not fair of me to bring it up at that point

"I'm sorry for questioning your decisions…" It's all she said but I knew her words were charged with deeper meanings

"It's alright…" I wanted to free her from her guilt, so I spoke more sweetly next "The water for your bath is ready, as you like it. I'll go to the kitchen to bring your dinner" I let her know. I was about to leave the room but she stopped me with her voice

"Have you had dinner yet?" I turned around slowly

"No…I haven't" I told her...I knew what her next words would be

"Would you like to share the table with me?" Her hesitant manner touched me deeply in my heart. I smiled internally wondering how it was possible for her to exude such vulnerability sometimes

"Yes…" Relief was easily noticeable in her face "I would like to" I agreed smiling at her delighted, thinking that maybe that could be a good way to start over again.

"Alright…" She casually said "I'll go and take my bath…and I'll see you right after" But I swear I sensed she was forcing herself to keep a nonchalant behavior. I nodded and left the room. While she took her bath I went to the kitchen for _our_ dinner and started to set the table

"What's for dinner?" She asked walking out of the bathroom. I looked up cautiously in case she was naked, but she thankfully was wearing her habitual black silk gown, although after having seen her naked in such detail, the gown left nothing to the imagination. I forced myself to keep my mind away of that kind of thoughts

"Red made her special meat pie…" I said. She got in charge of serving the food, offering me a seat. We immediately broke the ice and I felt so good with our little conversation that I forgot about our moments of unease, unfortunately it lasted so little. I gradually began to feel her piercing gaze on me. The wine helped me reduce the anxiety her eyes were causing in me; my face warmed more and more, until I could not stand it "Could you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" She asked innocently… _She's messing with you Piper_ …I refused to fall in her game. I took a deep breath and decided to let it go

"Never mind" I focused again on the food, but then she was looking at me more fixedly "You are staring at me!" I accused her

"Excuse me?" She retorted as if offended by my words

"It's kind of rude…" I admonished her

"I am not staring at you…" She decided to go on with her presumption of innocence

"I know what you are trying to do…and I'm telling you, it's not going to work on me…" I warned her, still trying really hard to focus on my plate

"What the hell are you talking about?" How did she manage to be so irritating and so captivating at the same time?

"Oh come on! As if you did not know!" I faced her deliberately trying to be mad at her, but I couldn't

"I'm really sorry but…I have no idea of what you mean" Amusement was palpable in each one of her gestures, she was clearly having fun with the situation

"The effect you cause on others when you look at them like this!" I told her adamantly; I wanted her to know that I was not stupid and I was pretty aware of her trickery. She lacked the decency to deny it

"I find it _quite_ interesting that it works on you" The smile that appeared on her lips after saying that struck me. I only felt a deep desire of erase it pressing my lips against hers, and that's exactly the kind of situation I should avoid at all cost because, how could we be friends if those thoughts were lurking in my head?

"This was a terrible idea" I was ready to leave but she stopped me

"No no no! Don't leave" She said desperately and kept me chained by my wrist with her long fingers that felt like cold iron "I was totally unaware of what I was doing…it's really hard to keep my eyes off you" Those words mollified me strangely "I'm so sorry, please…" She begged "I'll behave…I promise" she let go of my wrist "I won't even look at you…" She stated turning away from me on her chair, which I found ridiculously absurd. I could not be mad at her for too long

"You don't have to do that…" I spoke after a while. One way or another, I always seemed to lose my willpower to her. She turned again towards me slowly and smiled at me modestly, _behaving_ like she said she was going to do

"So…what's for dessert?" She asked to resume our serene soiree, leaving behind out little argument

"Ammm, I don't know…" I didn't see what Red had put in the tray. I proceeded to remove the lid but it slipped from my grip "Ooops…I'm sorry" I felt my movements a little heavy. I was going to pick up the lid that had fallen to the floor but she stopped me from doing so

"Leave it there…I'll pick it up later" She offered and I turned my attention to the two portions of cake

"Lemon cake!" I recognized immediately as I had already tasted that cake during my convalescence, Red learnt that is was my favorite and since then, she baked it frequently

"You like lemon cake…" _Who doesn't?_ I thought while serving the portions on the small plates

"I looove lemon cake…" I was forced to correct her statement, after which, I forgot about good manners and took the cake with my hands to give it a good bite. I was feeling somehow unreserved… _if my mother saw me taking the food with my hands…_

"You can have mine if you are so fond of it…" She offered, handing me her plate

"You don't like lemon cake?" _How could someone not like lemon cake!?_

"You seem to enjoy it more than me…that's all" She explained

"Mmmmm, this is so good…" In just a couple of more than generous bites, I finished my cake, and I craved for more, in need of more sugar "Are you really not going to eat yours?" I asked her a little shy considering her initial offer

"Please…enjoy yourself" She encouraged me to eat her piece, so I did "I can go to the kitchen for another piece if you want to" She told me when I ran out of cake again

"Oh no…I couldn't hold another bite" I had already eaten too much

"Would you like more wine?" She offered me and I thought about it but I had already drunk enough wine…

"I…I don't think I should…I'm feeling a little foggy already…and I still have to carry all these things to the kitchen" I worried about it because suddenly I felt heavy and thick of mind

"Don't worry about it…I'll take care of it…" She must have noticed my slight state of inebriation

"Really?" I asked her with uncertainty

"Yeah...you should get some rest…" She suggested and I was extremely thankful for it

"Yes, I'm feeling suddenly tired…" I did not know exactly how much wine I had drunk, but it was certainly much more than I was accustomed to

"I've got something for you…" She said out of the blue and disappeared in front of me to appear again in the blink of an eye standing by my side. She handed me an envelope

"What is this?" I was confused…

"Nicky got it from the Village…it's from the High Lands so I assumed it was for you" My family had received my letter and they were writing me back; I was ecstatic

"Thank you…" I thanked her not only for giving me the letter, but remembering how kind she had been by letting me stay in touch with my family, even when that was not contemplated in our deal. After accepting the letter, I got up maybe a little fast, completely losing my balance

"Whoooa! Easy there!" She held me in place and a little laugh escaped from me…the wine had apparently affected my skills

"...I got up too quickly" I excused myself with a little of shame for my inappropriate behavior

"I'd better take you to your room, I don't want accidents on the stairs" I was clinging to her arms for support, I doubted I could get to my room and _maybe_ I wanted her to come with me, so I could hold her arm as I used to do on our long walks. I nodded accepting her offer. I was slightly disappointed when I realized that had she decided to use her special way of traveling instead of walking with me and sharing more time together. We were already at my door and I lost the support of her arms, so I had to lean my back against the door, to avoid losing my balance again, and she stood in front of me, very close. In the dim light of the hallway, I could not see her face in detail; I could barely distinguish where her eyes and mouth were by squinting. She was less intimidating that way, I pondered feeling suddenly uninhibited

"What?" She asked me as if she could feel my need to tell her the things I wanted to say

"I'm sorry…" The words just slipped away in a whisper

"Why are you sorry for this time?" The gentleness in her voice was palpable

"I have been truly unfair to you" I had something I wanted to get out of my chest "I blamed you for what happened the other night and the truth is, I'm also partly to blame because…if I wanted to stop you I could have done it and… _I didn't_ " And there it was, my truth; I did not want her to stop because I liked it

"Why didn't you stop me?" She got ever so close to me and I was standing again at the edge of the cliff; a stimulating fear seizing my body. I looked for her eyes in the dark and then for her lips…

" _Jump_..." I encouraged myself and my lips went blindly to meet hers and just like that, I was immersed in the water. I kissed her like in my dreams, unashamedly. I felt her pushing me desperately against the door causing an earthquake in my inside that made me crave for air urgently, breaking the bond of our lips only for an instant, but I did not want to go to the surface for air, I wanted to immerse myself in her again and so I did, with no time to lose. I felt her hands pressed strongly on my back, bringing me impossibly closer to her. I could feel her coldness through the silk of her gown in my hands, perched on the curve of her waist.

"Alex" Her name came to my lips lusciously…if felt so good to call her like that. In a moment, her lips drew painfully away from mine and then her body. I tried to hold her close to me by her waist but she was stronger than me…I did not understand why was she doing that. She cupped my right cheek with her hand

"You better…go to sleep" She told me and I suddenly was pretty aware of what had happened and felt my hands falling numbly to my sides "Wine might be clouding your judgment…I don't want to you to do something that you can regret later…" So, she was not stopping because she did not want to, but because she was worried that I was making a bad decision

"I'm so sorry…I don't know what I was thinking…" I was abashed

" _Please_ …don't be sorry for _this_ " She laughed softly and her other hand went to cup my other cheek. She pressed her lips on mine sweetly and bid me goodnight "Goodnight…" Her cold breath soothed the heat on my face, I wanted to breathe her in but maybe she had a point, maybe wine was clouding my mind

"Goodnight" I wished her back feeling trapped in a charming dream

"…have sweet dreams" _Those words again…_ She definitely knew about my dreams and in that moment I did not care if she did, in that moment I wanted her to know. I smiled at her knowingly and in a confidence boost I assured her that I would

"I will…" My statement left her completely stupefied and I took pleasure in her reaction. She disappeared immediately without saying more words, leaving me wrapped in a strange halo of ecstasy. I walked into my room immediately and closed the door, pressing my back against it. I reviewed every moment of the night in a daze and laughed at the unexpected turn of the events…

I realized that clearly it was going to be impossible to keep a friendly relationship with her because in that instant all I wanted to do was to experience her lips again. I took a deep breath to clear my mind and crossed the room in the dark to light the candles on my nightstand. She even made me forget about the letter I kept in the front pocket of my apron, but as soon as I remembered it, my fingers went to rip the envelope excitedly…I unfolded the yellowish paper and sat on the edge of the bed and avidly started reading the content. At first glance I was disappointed to note the distinguished handwriting of my mother, instead of my father's. My relationship with her was rough and distant, but with my father everything was different. Knowing that the letter had been written by her, I could not be surprised by the short extension of it; two paragraphs hardly covering half the folio. For a moment I thought the worst and feared for my father's health, but in her first sentences she assured me that everyone was in good health, specially my father. I calmed down instantly and continued reading; but my heart was broken little by little with the second set of words…

 _I cannot express how relieve we are to knowing you in good health and at peace. Your departure has been extremely painful for your father, and we do not believe that this exchange of letters would do him any good; it's unfair of you to torment us with the ghost of your existence. We lost you as soon as you made the decision to leave without thinking about the consequences, so we beg you to cease your intentions to communicate with us, since that can only bring us more pain. Let us mourn at peace and get over all…_

 _We will always love you nevertheless…_

 _Dad and mother…_

"No…" I denied feeling the tight knot in my throat. I read over and over again those lines trying to understand their meaning, although the words had been quite explicit… _We don't want to know anything about you, you are dead to us…_

Coming from my mother, nothing could surprise me, but my father…how could he think that way? My soul hurt deeply and the words became blurry as large tears fell on the letter. I refused to believe that my father was capable of such thoughts. Perhaps my mother had somehow intercepted the letter and it had never got to my father's hands, but that was impossible as I knew that every letter was delivered directly to the king, going only through the butler's hands, his most loyal server. For sure, my father had read it, and my mother took care of the blow. I felt lost and betrayed in the worst way. My own family found it more convenient for them to go on as if I was dead. The worst, they've managed to make me feel guilty for saving their lives, as if my sacrifice had been inconsiderate, even selfish. How absurd and unfair was it all?

 _Rage…_ I felt the rage brewing in my interior before such deceitfulness. My own family had betrayed me and broken my heart. My hands clenched wrinkling the paper bitterly and throwing it to the ground while tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes. I curled up in my bed and hugged my pillow tightly and cried all night without finding consolation. The dawn arrived, and I was still in the same position, my body numbed by immobility and the cold of the night. Sadness was so demoralizing, that I found myself unable to move not even to cover my body with the quilt, but at least the tears had stopped. I knew I would have to get up soon, but my body seemed reluctant to do so. Not even the soft knock on my door made me leave my deadened state…

" _Piper?_ " Although my heart seemed to react with the sound of her voice, I couldn't find mine "Piper can I come in?" She insisted "I'm going in" She let me know after more seconds of silence. I heard the soft squeaking of the door slowly opening, but I could not see her, because I was lying with my back to the door "Piper…are you alright?" I would have to explain my condition and tell her about the letter; I would have to tell her with great humiliation that my family had denied me. The thought brought with it a new wave of fresh tears; my whole body shuddered with sobs "Hey…" She appeared in front of me and dropped on her knees to face me closely "Hey…what's wrong?" She did not seem to know what to do, her face showed alarm, but I was unable to recompose myself to speak "Piper you are scaring me…" She placed the palm of her hand on my right cheek lovingly "And you are freezing…" She pointed out and immediately proceeded to cover me with the sheets, after which she got up and walked over the fireplace to light the fire. I was already a little calmed down when she came back to kneel again by the bed. She looked into my soul through my eyes for a while "So...Are you going to tell me what happened?" She asked tenderly and I nodded. She did not say anything, giving me time to find my voice

"The letter…" I began hoarsely

"Yes…?" She encouraged me to go on but I couldn't. I merely pointed to the wrinkled paper on the floor that was near her…she looked back at me with bewilderment "What is it?"

"Read it…" I told her. It was going to be easier to let her read it. She reached for the paper and smoothed it roughly. I stared at her face fixedly as she read every line. The crease between her eyebrows grew deeply with every second. When she finished reading, her face was severe and her jaw was prominently clenched. I knew that face already, she was mad. She took a deep breath and dropped the letter to focus her eyes on me

"I'm so sorry…" She said denoting pain

"Don't be…it's not your fault…" She lowered her sight and frowned deeply as if considering something

"Let me ask you one more time…" her words took me by surprise, what she was going to ask me? "Do you want to go home?" She barely whispered, as if she did not want to be heard. Was she serious? What kind of question was that? After that letter, the last thing I wanted was to go back home. Anger warmed my body and I came back to life

"Why do you insist on asking me that?" I asked her adamantly as I sat on the bed

"Because I don't want you to be unhappy…" I watched her from above, wondering if that was her real reason…

"What makes you think that I can be happy back with my family?" I almost spitted every word with hatred

"I…I don't know, I just…" She was short of words still on her knees "I want you to do what _you_ _want_ …" Her words irritated me; apparently she was perfectly fine with the idea of letting me go. Is it that nobody cared about me? Did she also want to get rid of me?

"And why does it matter what I want? If no one cares about me anyway…" As soon as the words left my lips her gaze darkened dangerously and forced me to look away

"Is that what you really think?" She hissed "That no one cares about you?"

"It's not what I think…I know no one does…" Silence took over the place, and after what seemed an eternity, she spoke with a distant tone…

"When I found you…lying unconscious on that dark cell" She was having a hard time delivering her words "I swear I've never felt such fear in my long existence…" I turned my eyes towards her, but that time she was the one diverting her gaze "Until that day, I did not even know what fear was" She snorted lightly and looked up to meet my eyes and continued speaking softly with sorrow "But to think about the possibility of losing you…to see your eyes closed wondering if I would have the opportunity of seeing the blue in them again, to hear your voice…it was terrifying" Her statement had left me speechless. She slowly got to her feet and then she was the one watching me from above. She cupped my face with both hands very caringly and decimated me with her penetrating gaze "You have no idea of how much I care about you…so don't you ever dare to say those words again" She said firmly. At that moment, the things I felt for her were untold and the impulse to feel her close couldn't be bigger. I felt again the lump in my throat and my eyes clouding…

"Hold me…" Was all I could say before breaking into tears. In less than a second she was already sitting on the bed beside me and bringing me closer to her. She laid her back against the bed's headboard and brought me to her making me lay my head on her chest. She wrapped her arms around my body making me feel an overwhelming sense of wholeness and caressed my hair lovingly until my tears stopped. I don't know how much time had passed without exchanging of words, and I did not care. The silence was pleasant and the words were not necessary, as her mere presence was more than enough to alleviate the pain in my soul… "You were right…" I said softly after a long time

"Well, I'm normally right about everything" I could not see her face as we were still holding the same position as before, but I knew by her tone that she was slightly joking "But you will have to be a little more specific this time about what I was right…"

"About not trusting anyone" She had told me the truth, lately she seemed to be the only one to do so

"I'm sorry I was right about that…and I'm sorry you had to realize it like this…" I felt her cold lips pressing against my forehead for some delicious seconds "Look at me…" She said and made me lift my head slightly pressing her index under my chin "This is your home now…" _My home…_ I liked the thought of it "You've made a significant transformation in our lives...You've brought the light to the darkest place on earth and we are tremendously lucky to have you here…"

"We?"

"Nicky, Red and... _specially_ I…" Her smile stirred me to my core. I buried my face on the curve of her neck and breathed her in, letting her essence flood through my whole body

"Are you hungry?" She asked me after a while and I shook my head in denial "But you have not even had breakfast" She pointed out

"I'm just…tired" I had been up all night crying in despair, but in her arms I had found the calm I so desperately needed

"Then…why don't we get you into bed so you can have some good rest…Uhm?" I suddenly became aware that maybe she had more important things to do and that I had been wasting her time

"Yes, I'm sorry…probably you have other things to do…" I said while I moved away from her grip and sat on the bed again

"I don't care about that…I can stay…" I turned my head around to assess if she was serious about it "I want to stay… _if_ you want me to stay" She corrected immediately

"I…could use some… _company…"_ I said, trying not to show how much I really wanted her to stay. She flashed her teeth broadly, clearly pleased with my words. She settled down on the mattress more appropriately, smiling with amusement, while I observed each one of her movements. When she was completely lying down she sought for my eyes raising her eyebrows in encouragement to follow her into the bed. Seeing her lying on my bed cheered my heart terrifically. I proceeded to lie down by her side, mirroring her position and staring intently at the ceiling, trying hard not to think about what happened the last time we had been together in a bed. I could feel her watching me and even though I was not able to assess her face, it was not hard to imagine the smile that was surely embodied on her lips, as always, my discomfort seemed to be the source of her enjoyment. A little shake across the bed confirmed my suspicions…she laughed quietly…

"I don't bite, you know?" She assured me playfully "You asked for my company and fulfilling your wishes is all I intend" It was hard not to smile at her words. In the silence that came after that last exchange, my right hand groped for the cold of hers…as soon as my fingers touched the skin of the back of her hand, she did not hesitate a second to take mine firmly, interlacing her fingers with mine. That little gesture made me feel the fluttering of hundreds of butterflies in my belly. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see she was still watching me. I braced myself and turned my head towards her; her eyes shone like polished jade stones "Are you feeling better?" I nodded mesmerized by her proximity. We were only inches away, still not close enough. I turned to lie on my right side and curled up next to her, my left hand wrapping her torso and my head resting on her left shoulder.

"Thank you…" I whispered

"You are welcome" she said pressing her cheek on my forehead and embracing me comfortably tight "Now try to get some sleep"

It was hard to fall asleep under those circumstances, as I was feeling extremely self conscious; but the movements of her fingers playing lovingly between my hairs did the trick. When I opened my eyes I was disoriented, as if I had awakened from a long dream. The first thing I noticed was her absence, which made me think that in fact, it had all been a dream. I sat on the bed trying to look for her…

"I was starting to worry about you…" I heard her voice coming from somewhere in the dim room "How many hours do you need to sleep?" After scrutinizing the room I noticed her in the chair under the window, in front of my bed. I smiled internally as I realized that she had not left me alone…

"What time is it?" I asked her with a sleepy voice

"It's past midnight" She said as she stood up and approached me to sit on the bed "Did you rest well?" I had been sleeping for almost half a day…I had rested like never before in my life

"Yes…I think I actually overslept…" I admitted timidly causing in her a soft and melodic laugh

"You needed to rest…and you also need to eat something…" She reminded me "You have not eaten since last night" I had completely forgotten about the feeling of emptiness on my stomach, but I could not forget about _our previous_ dinner

"I'm feeling kind of hungry" I recognized

"I can get you something from the kitchen…" She offered, but I was tired of having spent all day in my room

"Don't worry about it…I was thinking on going to the kitchen…I've been in bed for a whole day, maybe it's a good idea to stretch my legs"

"I'll join you…if you don't mind" She offered kindly to keep me company

At those hours, there was no one in the kitchen. I rummaged through the counters and picked up various options on a plate.

"Have you had dinner yet?" I asked her, just in case she was hungry too

"Nah…don't worry, I'm not hungry" She said while taking a seat at the table. I sat beside her once I had a good amount of various foods…I was very hungry

"So…" I said not paying attention to the food, as there was something bugging in my mind "You stayed with me all day…" My intention was to ask her, but in the end I said the words as a statement

"Of course…why wouldn't I?" I was moved to know that she had been with me the whole time, even though I was asleep. I smiled at her and began to eat. I tried to keep a conversation while I ate

"You don't have to stay…" I told her and she frowned in doubt "I feel bad for you…you must be tired and you should go to sleep" Apparently there was something funny about my words, because she chuckled with her distinctive raspy manner "What?" I inquired

"Do you want to know a little secret?" I nodded highly mystified. Of course I wanted to know everything about her "I don't sleep…" _What?_

"What?" I spoke my thought

"I don't sleep" She repeated articulating every word perfectly

"How is that even possible?" I was bewildered at the thought

"I don't know why you are so surprised…I told you I was centuries old, but _this_ information you find it shocking" She mocked me playfully

"I…I don't know!" I exclaimed because she had a point. I tried to explain myself "I think that to some extent I can _understand_ about your immortality but, to tell me that in so many years you have not been able to sleep…that's a whole new thing!" And I complained about my sleepless nights. She observed me with amusement and a beautiful half smile

"The way your mind works…it's a mystery to me" Her words weighed with praise

"Are you suggesting that my mind works poorly?" I tried to sound offended but she knew I was messing with her

"I think your mind is what makes you so captivating…" That time she said seriously, as someone who makes a confession. I felt my face burning before her penetrating gaze "Have you finished with your dinner?" She asked shortly after and I nodded hopelessly "Then I'll walk you to your room" She stood up and offered me her hand, which I took without a second thought. As we walked down the aisle to my room, I wondered why she had ended our evening so abruptly. When we reached my door, memories of the previous night inevitably invaded my mind, although somewhat they were fuzzy. My heart accelerated nervously, since then I lacked the bravado offered by alcohol… "Even though you've slept more than enough today, I highly recommend you trying to get some more rest tonight…" The seriousness of her tone alerted me quite a bit

"Why?" I asked slightly worried

"Because…tomorrow we are going on an adventure" She adopted a mischievous tone and I relaxed immediately

"An adventure?" I repeated warily

"I won't tell you anything about it, so don't ask questions and go to sleep…I'll pick you up pretty early" She let me know

"Alright…" I avoided saying _goodnight_ , I was not ready to let her go

"Alright…" She said back

"Sooo…" I trailed off determined not to be the one to end this night

"Sooo?" She insisted on echoing my words annoyingly. She had me between the sword and the wall, what else was I supposed to say? But after a moment she was the one to break the silence, in the worst way "What? No _jumping_ tonight?" She asked impishly. Mortification burned my insides…I had innocently thought that she would not mention that incident ever, due to my evident state of intoxication

"I…I…about last night…" I was looking for words to excuse myself for my reprehensible behavior, but suddenly it was utterly unnecessary; even if they had come to my mouth, it would have been futile, as I was unable to pronounce them. She silenced me fervently with her fleshy lips and my senses came to a halt. Unlike me, she did not seem to need any kind of special beverage that would increase her audacity. Even so, the kiss was much more measured and shorter than the one of the night before, but equally alluring. After capturing my lips repeatedly with devotion, she concluded deliciously nibbling my lower lip, in an act that almost made me lose my sanity as it triggered outrageous thoughts in me.

"Mmmm…" She murmured deeply almost against my lips, sending shivers down my spine "Goodnight…" I could not reply as I had lost the ability to form words, and for the second time, she left me at the doors of my room completely scatterbrained, wishing eagerly for a new day to come


	26. Chapter 26

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello guys! It's a sad day today. I would like to pay a small tribute to the victims of yesterday's attack in Barcelona in my native country, Spain. Let's unite our hearts and minds to wish that the evil in the world disappears so that we can live in peace and harmony. Tolerance, today and always, but we must never tolerate the intolerable. I love you guys! Enjoy the chapter!

 **CHAPTER XXVI (Alex's POV)**

I had been ignoring the call for too many hours. She was so deeply asleep that she would probably never have noticed my absence. I had plenty of time to go, make the deal and be back before she woke up; but that would have meant betraying what she had asked me for, _my company,_ so I went against all my instincts and did not pay attention to the prayer that was being done in my name staying with her. Once she was awake it was easier for me to ignore the voice requesting my services, however, when she finished her dinner, the despair of the petitioner was almost tangible despite the distance, something impossible to resist for me. I accompanied her to her room and realized how reluctant she was to say goodbye, which I found endearing. In an attempt to cheer her spirit, I promised her to take her on an adventure the next day and then I bid her goodnight, that time I being the one who favored the farewell kiss. I was amazed how natural it felt to kiss her then, with no wine in her system. I wanted to measure what her reaction would be with her clear mind, and although some uncertainty was palpable in the way she moved her lips, I did not feel rejection, quite the contrary, she seemed to accept my kisses more than elated. It took me a great effort to get away from her to take on my responsibilities, but I was comforted by the fact that it was only a few hours before dawn.

I spent the night committed to my duties, which helped the hours to pass even faster. Maybe it was still too early to wake her up, so I went to the stables to prepare the horses and then to the kitchen to ask Red to prepare a basket with enough food for the day. She was an early riser so I knew I would find her in there getting everything ready for the day. She was surprised to see me, and told me that both, she and Nicky, had been wondering where Piper and I had been all the previous day. I had to explain to her what had happened, about the letter and how discouraged Piper had been all day. Of course, she was in a rage to know about it.

"Miserable classy bastards…" She said clenching her teeth "How could they have done that to their own daughter? An angel!" She kept saying profanities with great indignation. To appease her anger, I told her that I had arranged to make her happy starting from that day, no matter what, that would be my only reason for being. I urged her to finish what I had asked for because it was my plan to take Piper to ride all day, to clear her mind from the fortuneless events of the previous day. Not having more things to do I went to her door and knocked pertly.

"Wait a minute!" She said loudly and I heard her hurrying hastily through the room and wondered what the hell she was doing while I waited. In less than a minute she opened the door causally, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her agitated state, not to say that the pumping of her heart was more than enough prove "Good morning" She said beamingly. I took her in with my eyes and I rejoiced on the fact that she had put a lot of effort into getting ready. Her hair was collected with her usual semi-updo style, but intricate braids intertwined on either side of her head forming a natural golden diadem...

"Good morning" I felt breathless, as if that was possible "You look...marvelous…" I felt the need to acknowledge her efforts and she was evidently more than flattered

"I did not know what to expect from today…" She said with polite modesty while running her fingers carefully along the side of her head

"You are perfect" I assured her "Shall we go?" I proposed to her offering my arm for her to take it, which of course, she did…

We went through the kitchen first for a quick breakfast and to pick up the neatly arranged basket that was on the table. We left after receiving the good wishes from Red for us to have a great day. On the way to the stables she could not help wondering where we were going…

"Are you always so gnawing?" I retorted amused

"Is that a fancy way to insinuate that I'm annoying?" She asked _annoyingly_ making me burst into laughter

"Why do you want to know?" I asked her "You will know soon anyway, don't ruin the surprise!" We arrived to the stables and I took our horses… "I know you were pretty clear about the gifts…but this horse belongs to you" I handed her the reins of her horse, _Charm_ "You named her already, that's the mightier contract in the whole world" I said sternly, as if my words were of great truth. She rolled her eyes exasperatedly for my nonsense, and almost tore the reins off my hand, again making me chuckle. She started to get on the horse and I hurried to help her…

"I have ridden on horse since I have memories…I don't need your help" I loved that spark of pride in her, always unwilling to go extinct no matter the situation. I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender and took a step away from her. Indeed, she did not need my help. In a swift movement she climbed gracefully and sat on the saddle, leaving me impressed… "See?" She told me smugly from the heights and then I noticed something terribly wrong…

"Maybe you've been riding throughout your lifetime…but I think that you've been doing it incorrectly the whole time…" I said with pity

"Excuse me?" Of course she was terribly offended by my assumption

"Look how you are sitting!" I told her horrified. She did not seem to understand what the problem was "With both legs to one side?" I pointed out

"What's wrong with it?" She demanded to know

"Everything is wrong with it!" Did I really have to explain to her what was wrong about it? "Is dangerous, you don't have complete control over the hoarse and just…the right way is to put one leg on each side…" I simply said because it was a fact

"And that's the right way only because you say so?" How obtuse she could be sometimes to see the simplest true

"It's not me who says it…everybody does it that way" I was beginning to believe that she was just testing my patience, but no…

"But this is how I was taught…is how ladies are supposed to ride…" Then I calmed down immediately. I tended to forget where she came from…

"Saddles are especially made to put one leg on each side of the horse" I explained her calmly "Why would you do it differently?"

"Because! That's how men ride!" She explained to me as if it was the most obvious thing in the world

"And what makes you think that women can't ride like men?" She pondered my words, apparently a little more willing to reason

"I…I don't know…" She admitted. I could see her having an internal argument

"I'm not intending to change your way…I just want you to keep in mind that just because that's what you've been taught does not mean it's the _only_ way…" I told her tenderly

"I'll keep it in mind" She said but did not change her posture. I rearranged the contents of the basket in the bags that hung from the rump of my horse and proceeded to climb to it.

"You ready?" I looked for her confirmation and she nodded excitedly which made me smile broadly "Let's go then" and we started to ride lightly, leaving the castle behind

"Could you at least give me a little hint as to where we are going?" She could not help her curiosity

"We are heading north…" I vaguely said, certain that she would be dissatisfied with so little information. Her exasperated sigh made me smile

"I don't know how it is possible to identify the north in here…" She began talking again "How do you orient yourself when you can't see the sky?" She wondered with interest

"Call it instinct…" I really did not have an explanation "I've been in this place for far too many years as to not recognize where the north is…I know every inch of earth like the palm of my hand"

"It's still impressive…in my eyes everything looks the same" She was certainly right. In the middle of the dead grove, everything looked the same

"It's not like this where we are going…" I gave her a clue

"It's not?" She retorted surprised and I shook my head in denial "So it's not all dead trees…" She tried to get more information out of me

"There is a long road ahead to reach our destination…you better be patient and wait to see it with your own eyes…"

"If the trip is so long…why are we going so slowly?" She complained about my pace

"I don't think you can go faster riding like _that_ …" I took the opportunity to remind her about how wrong was the way she sat

"I bet that I'm faster than you riding like _this_ " Was exactly the answer I was expecting

" _Maybe…_ " The answer was _no_ , but I did not want to despise her skills "But it's definitely not a good idea to challenge me in the middle of this maze of trees" I let her know "And it's even worse to try to go faster in this field…" The blackened and wet dirt was perfect to cover the treacherous roots of the trees. I looked at her face and she seemed to accept my words with humility…she was proud but not insane

At a steady pace and talking about almost anything, we kept closer and closer to the place I had in mind. It took us most of the morning to reach the area where the change of the ground became evident. The terrain became steeper and rocky, and the mass of trees became less dense. We were almost there and she was aware of it…

"Are we close already?" She asked slightly cranky

"Yes…we are almost there…" I guaranteed her "You need to be extremely careful now alright?" I told her when there was only an accused slope to conquer. I approached to her side closely, in case she lost her balance, but she overcame the obstacle smoothly, and we reached our destination.

The place was an extensive plateau that seemed to have no end. We were standing in the heart of the Shadow Lands, and right in the middle of the plain, a large irregular stain of green stood out evidently among the blackness around it. A small portion of pristine land, which had been for centuries, or most probably for all the eternity, forgiven by the darkness; the only placed reached by the sunlight. I watched her face closely to measure her reaction. He eyes were wide open, like her mouth…she was looking for words

"What…what is this place?" She asked astounded

"We are in the core of the Shadow Lands…" I explained "Come here" I invited her to follow me until reaching the patch of light. Right on the edge, I was forced to stop; I was banned from that place. She did not realize that I had stopped and crossed the line without me; in an instant she was bathed by the light radiantly. She came to a halt a couple of meters away from me and looked at the sky, letting the bright star to warm her face. She laughed heartily clearly pleased by the sensation. After a moment, she turned her head at both sides, looking for me. She pulled the reins to turn around and found me behind her…

"What are you doing there?" She said with puzzlement

"I can't go in…" I did not say it pitifully, yet her face was saddened right away

"Then why have we come if you can't enjoy it?" She said with great remorse making me laugh cheerfully

"Who told you I'm not enjoying it?" She was my great enjoyment "I wanted to show you this place, I want _you_ to enjoy it and I thought some sun would do you good…have you seen how pale you are lately?" I joked making her burst with laughter

"Look who's talking about paleness!" She exclaimed humorously approaching towards me with her horse "So what are we going to do? Are you going to stay there while I'm in here or what?"

"Don't worry, I already figured it out" I smiled at her enigmatically and dropped myself off the horse in a swift movement. I searched in the bag for the blanket I had packed, I took it out and spread it in the air, trying to lay part of it on her side "See?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head letting out a short laugh. She got off the horse too and proceeded to knelt by the blanket, smoothed its corners and then sat down on it, flashing her white teeth at me, clearly thrilled with my idea. I grabbed the bag with the food and asked if she was hungry. It was near lunch time and probably she was hungry after the long journey

"I'm famished!" She stated with great exaggeration. I grabbed the bag with the food and placed it between us and dropped myself on my side of the blanket. She immediately put her hands on the bag to examine the contents and arranged the food meticulously. Everything could be eaten with our hands, so there was no need for cutlery or plates. As I was not hungry, I leaned back on my elbows, leaving my head up so I would not lose sight of her not even for a second. I found myself mesmerized by the play of the rays of the sun in her golden hair…she started to stuff her mouth with food oblivious to my attentive gaze. After about six grapes, she looked at me as if she had been caught for surprise "Aren't you going to eat?" I shook my head "At least try these grapes…they are incredibly sweet…" She said taking a grape between her index and thumb, and bringing it to my mouth. I accepted her gesture with delight and took the grape delicately between my teeth and chewed the grape "And?" She waited for my opinion; of course, she had no idea about my inability to enjoy the little pleasures of food…

"Mmmm, very sweet indeed" I said after swallowing. Anything could be delicious if she was the one who put it in my mouth

"Do you want more?" I opened my mouth accepting her offer without words and fixed my eyes on hers. Again, she placed the grape close to my lips, waiting for me to take it between my teeth. That time I was less careful, I caught the grape and the tip of her fingers in the process, smiling at her playfully never diverting my eyes from hers. She let out a small gasp of surprise but did not withdraw her fingers. Naughty thoughts crossed through my mind in that precise moment. My desire for her only grew every day. I would have taken her in that place, on that blanket in the open field, and I would have eaten grapes on her naked body, _among other things_ , until dying of satiety.

The blush on her cheeks and the fast beating of her heart were clear signs that maybe I could do those things and she gladly would let me do them. But I did not want to press her at that moment; I did not want her to think _that_ was my only intention. I released her fingers and enjoyed the grape in my mouth smiling mischievously. She was slightly stunned. I did not want to mess with her and torture her anymore, so I lied down completely on the blanket, resting my head on my hands intertwined by my fingers and looked at the sky, releasing her from my sight. After a moment, I heard her resuming her lunch and we did not exchange more words. When she was done, I felt her adopting my same position on her side and exhaling heavily

"This was an incredible idea…" She said with a relaxed tone "Thank you"

"Anytime"

"What would happen if you try to cross to my side?" She asked out of nowhere turning her head to face me

"Nothing…" What did she think it could happen? "There's something that simply pulls from me…no matter how hard I try, I can't overcome that invisible force" With my hand I made the gesture of reaching for her, to show her what happened. I made a big effort to cross the invisible barrier, despite knowing it would be impossible, but she presented herself as a perfect reward, out of my reach. Of course I couldn't get her; still, I got the reward of her touch. Perhaps I was not able to cross the line, but she could. She interlaced our fingers comfortingly, her skin warmer than usual due to the sunlight… "You are warm" I said softly taking pleasure in the feeling

"And you are cold" She said with a giggle and looked again at the sky without releasing my hand and began fidgeting with my fingers. I focused on my personal sky and did not look away from her. Later she would ask me something that made me burst out laughing "Can you fly?" She questioned frowning deep in thought

"Do you think I have wings hidden somewhere?" I said when I stopped laughing

"No…not _wings_ …" She seemed a bit embarrassed by her question, I felt sorry for laughing but I could not help it "You have magic…isn't magic capable of achieving anything?"

"My magic can do _many_ things, but growing wings is not one of them…" I explained serious so as not to make her feel that I was making fun of her

"Oh…" Her gesture was one of disillusionment "That's… _boring_ "

" _Boring?..._ " Had she suggested that my magic was boring? "For your information, magic is something to be taken very seriously, it's not meant to play with it…" I said severe but she was smiling broadly not taking my words seriously

"So…it's boring…" She insisted laughing; I sensed she was making fun of me for my _boring_ magic

"You know what…" I got up at once and stretched out my hand for her to take it "Let me show you something" She sat and watched me with suspicion

"What do you want to show me?" She asked warily

"Nothing special…just how _boring_ my magic is…" I said with mockery and she took my hand a little hesitant "What? Are you afraid?" Those words were enough for her to grab my hand more securely and get up hastily. Her eyes shone with audacity… _we would see for how long_ …I thought. We walked hand by hand with a hurried pace to the edge of the plain. It was something I intended to show her later either way, but her banter about my magic being boring made me change the plans. When we were quite close to the edge, she immediately stopped pulling strongly from my hand. She had already noticed that at the end of the field, there was only an abyss…

"What are you doing?" She asked smiling carelessly, but fear was clear in her eyes

"I want to show you the views…" She examined my intentions narrowing her eyes "Oh come on! You will not think that something is going to happen to you, right?" I told her to placate her doubts about my intentions. She relaxed immediately and allowed herself to be led by me until I reached the edge of the cliff, but she still stood a couple of steps away, our hands still forged like one

"I think I can appreciate the views very well from here" Uncertainty was tangible in her voice, she was shaking and I could feel her palm getting sweaty. I smiled at her fondly and walked towards her to cut the space between us

"I promise that what I'm going to show you is totally worth it…and nothing will happen to you" Although I could see she trusted my words, she remained reluctant to walk over the edge "Close your eyes" I suggested. Maybe that way it would be easier to take her closer to the end of the field. By her face she certainly was thinking that what I had just said was a complete madness. I smiled at her confidently and brought her closer to me taking her by her waist "You are safe with me" I whispered in her ear and looked again at her face. She breathed deeply several times with her eyes fixed on mine, and after some breathing she nodded as if reassuring herself. She grabbed firmly my shoulders with both hands and closed her eyes tightly "Little by little" I said while I dragged her very slowly sideways, as if dancing a waltz. She gave little steps and clung more and more to my shoulders "We are already there…" I let her know. I tried to turn her around, so that she was the one facing the abyss while I held her tightly by her waist, but she refused to change our position, burying her fingers on my shoulders. As I did not want to force her, I had to use another tactic. I faded under her touch to wrap her in less than a second from behind. She let out a small cry of fear by the sudden change. I got as close as I could to her back, pressing hardly my front against her, wrapping my arms around her waist like thick chains of iron, her hands already clinging fervently to my forearms, her nails embedded in my skin

"I think this is a terrible idea…" She wheezed every word and I chuckled softly at her anxiety and spoke to her placing my lips on her right ear

"I told you nothing is going to happen to you…" I gave her a reassuring squeeze around her torso "Open your eyes whenever you are ready…" I leaned my head over her right shoulder which gave me an amazing view of her cleavage "No need to rush, by the way" I told her as I laughed lightly; I was in no hurry to change our position

"Alright…" She barely whispered and I felt her becoming more anxious, nailing her fingers to my skin more deeply and quivering like a leaf. I knew that she had opened her eyes by the sound of the air leaving her lungs in a long sigh of astonishment. The views from where we were standing were stunning, maybe a little somber as it was everything in that part of the world, nevertheless, the depth of the valley, carved by the river for thousands of years, was a sight worth admiring "Alex this is…" She expressed with a falling voice "Unbelievable"

"I told you it was worth it" She started to laugh overwhelmingly, with a hint of nervousness. I could still feel her fear

"Yes…it was" But I knew that despite dread, she was enjoying the sights. Little by little she began to relax in my arms, but there was something else I wanted to show her

"Do you trust me?" I asked her with great seriousness, as if it were a matter of life and death. She turned her neck to look over her shoulder and catch my eyes with her own.

"Yes" She simply said. I couldn't find a hint of doubt in her gaze. That made me immensely happy, and equally sad as she did not seem willing to learn the lesson… _Do not trust anyone…_ I flicked my tongue against my teeth, making a disapproving sound for her confidence

"I thought I told you already…" I feigned disappointment and looked at her sternly. She frowned at my words, clearly confused

"What?"

"You should not trust me" When I finished saying those words, I smiled dangerously at her and noticed her eyes full with concern, and her heart once again shaken with fear. I secured her with my arms more intensely and let us fall to the edge of the precipice. For a second, just before we were on the air, she had time to understand what I was going to do, but not enough to ask me not to do it. During the long fall, only her cries were heard. I thought she would lose her voice, or maybe I would be deaf. Surely, I had already lost some skin on my forearms with her sharp nails. The closer we got to the ground, the more desperate her screams became. About to crash into the large rocks at the base of the cliff's wall, I made us disappear to return safely to the top of the cliff and lay our feet on the ground. She was a rag doll. Her legs faltered when I tried to get her to her feet, so I could not let her go. I turned her around, to be face to face. She kept trembling, still at shock. I took her arms and put them around my neck, from which she clung for dear life instantly. I chuckled delighted…"And you said my magic was boring…" I hugged her for a long time, while her ragged breath returned to normal. After a while, I felt her whole body convulsing. I was relieved to realize that the shudders were due to a hysterical laugh that was starting to come out from her throat…maybe she needed a little more time to return to normal "Piper?" I asked warily when the laughter did not stop; I could not see her face since she had it buried in the crook of my neck. I had to force her to relax her grip around my neck. I pushed her a little away from me to assess her face. She was as pale as ever, however, smiling like never before. I laughed at her state "Are you alright?" I asked. A part of me could not help being worried; maybe it had been too much for her. She nodded; apparently she had not yet recovered her voice. She looked at me absorbedly with enigmatic bright eyes, still catching her breath. I could see her mind working, thinking intently of something. I knew that look, from two nights ago when the wine had given her the boldness, but then, the thrill of the jump seemed to have excited her to do the thing she did next. She smashed her lips against mine unceremoniously. I cannot say I was taken by surprise, I had already been warned by her, but the intensity of the kiss was definitely a revelation. Her mouth did not give mine space to move. With a loud smack, she drew back, leaving a strange tingling sensation on my lips

"I want to do it again" She stated overly agitated. I needed a few seconds to understand that she wanted to jump again. Her kiss had left me staggered. Then, she was the one who dragged me to the edge of the abyss impatiently, making me laugh… _how much she makes me laugh..._ I noticed that with her I had laughed more than in all my existence…

"Only with one condition" I said when we were there again

"What?" She retorted cautiously

"You must apologize for what you said about my magic being boring" I said with severity, of course I was not serious, and her blank eyes made me realize that she knew I was kidding

"I'm so sorry for saying that your magic is boring…in fact…" She replied with false modesty "I could say that you are _almost_ fun, I mean…for an ancient creature like you…"

"You _didn't_ call me old…" She was stepping on treacherous terrain

"Well, you are not _young_ …" She pointed out. I let out a snort

"You are going to regret your words" I warned her and looked at her with a predatory manner. Her eyes shone with excitement, obviously without taking my threat seriously. I ran to her at full speed and tackled her encircling her waist with my arms to fall into the emptiness again. We jumped endlessly, until her voice was hoarse from screaming and laughing. I never thought possible to say that my tummy ached from laughing so much. That was perhaps the happiest day of my life, but unfortunately, it had to come to an end because it was time to go home. Her complaints soon arrived...

"Can't we stay a little longer?"

"We can come back as many times as you like…" I assured her "But I don't want us to be caught in the woods at night"

"I thought you would not be afraid of your own lands" She said in a challenging tone, which made me laugh sarcastically

"Trust me, I don't speak for myself…it's mostly for your sake" I would not want to run into unwanted creatures. Not that something bad could happen to her being with me, but I did not want her to get scared gratuitously

"My sake?" Her voice was full with disbelief

"There are terrible things hidden in the forest…I don't want your day to be ruined by their unpleasant presence" I said with a smile, but my tone made her know that I was serious

"And can't we use your _so_ convenient way to travel to reach the castle in an instant and stay in here a little longer?" How much I wanted to comply with all her wishes

"No we can't…we have brought the horses and I can't take them with me" At first I had thought it was a good idea come on horseback, so she could ride on _Charm_ "It only works with humans…" I further explained and she resigned herself and we started the way back. Soon it began to darken. Perhaps it would have been better to start the way back earlier. I took the reins of her horse and tied them to mine, to keep her closer to me, just in case…

"I can't see anything, it's too dark" She whispered, not wanting to attract the creatures I warned her about. I chuckled lightly, trying to appease her concerns

"I see perfectly in the dark, so don't worry"

"It's hard not to worry and…to be honest…I'm a bit scared" That was a great confession for someone as proud of her

"Hey" I came to a halt and positioned my horse right next to her "Come here"

"To where?" She was trying to discern where I was. I grabbed her by her hips "What are you doing?" She said with a hushed voice

"Calm down…sit with me" I offered her, perhaps that way she would feel safer. She seemed to agree and I helped her move from her horse to mine. I moved a little to open some space for her in front of me. She sat just like on her horse…with both legs to one side. I wrapped my arms around her to keep her in place and resumed the ride. After a few meters, she decided to rest her head on my shoulder and cling to my waist "Better?"

"Yes…so much better…" Her voice was confident, saturated with a sense of security, and I was overwhelmed by a feeling of happiness that caused me to think that she felt safe in my arms. The way back was somehow faster, even when we did not share many words; she was clearly tired. We arrived at the castle past dark. After leaving the horses in the stable I took her to her room and she thanked me for the day "It has been a lovely day…thank you"

"Don't thank me…I had a great time too and I hope to repeat it soon"

"Absolutely…" She agreed "Should I tell the girls to bring you water for your bath and bring you dinner later?" She remembered her duties as the housekeeper and I did not like it; I wanted her to stop doing those things

"You don't have to…I can pass by the kitchen and order them myself…"

"No…I want to" She assured me. Maybe she needed to feel useful and she liked having responsibilities, so for the moment I left her

"Alright…I definitely need a bath, I smell like a barn" She laughed and pressed her face to sniff my clothes and wrinkled her nose comically

"Yeah you do…I smell like horses too, probably I should also ask them to bring water for me"

"Maybe after our baths we can have dinner together?" I asked her tentatively

"I would love to…" I knew what the answer would be "Let me take the water to your room first, alright?" I nodded and left reluctantly. Even that small separation was going to be hard to bear. I was going to see her in a moment, and then we were going to have diner together. After having spent the whole day together, I did not seem able to be without her for five miserable minutes. Once in my room I took off my clothes, put on my robe and sat waiting for the water… In a short time, she arrived with her entourage of prisoners. It was going to take me a long time to get used to them. For her sake, I tried to ignore them while they were filling my bath. She noticed my moodiness by their presence and gave me a recriminatory look that made me rolled my eyes. The women left the bathroom and Piper dismissed them

"Thank you so much girls…I'll go right away" She let them know. Once they were gone she took the chance to tell me "You'll never get over it, am I wrong?" She inquired laughably

"I already told you…I don't like seeing you surrounded by these people" I got up and walked over her "Although I have agreed to trust your judgment, I care about you and that is not going to change" I placed my hands lightly on both sides of her waist, a gesture that felt very familiar after having shared so many of them that day, and she apparently had gotten used to them too, as she circled my forearms with her fingers, to get a little closer…

"Thanks for caring about me…" She smiled with great affection "Now…why don't you go and take your bath before the water cools, I'll go to my bedroom and do the same, and then I'll bring dinner…" She resumed but my hands did not seem able to abandon the safety of her waist

"You know?" A thought that probably was improper for her began to set in my mind, so I was careful delivering the words "It occurs to me…that…since my bathtub is already filled, maybe…we could save some time if we…share the same bath" My way of suggesting the idea could not be more disastrous. An awkward silence took over the room and I wanted to kick myself for ruining everything trying to push her like that

" _Share_ …like… _together_?" She said after mulling over my words. _Yes this was a terrible idea…_ I thought when I saw her aghast face

"Forget about what I said" I said trying to downplay my blunder and withdrew mi hands from her "I'll take my bath in my room and you'll take your bath in your room... _separately…_ " I emphasized "And don't worry about bringing dinner, I'll take care of it…" I did not know what had been worse…my mistake or my attempt to correct it… _or her face_ …I already knew so many of her expressions, but that one was new to me… _Fear? Excitement? Doubt? What the hell is going on through her mind?_ "I'd better go before the water gets cold" I decided to follow her initial advice and left her before saying more stupid things…nevertheless, she remained stuck in her place, as if she were lost and did not know where to go. I went into the bathroom, stripped myself of my bathrobe and got myself into the bathtub, thinking how stupid it was of me to suggest such thing to _her,_ but I could feel her still in my room. Her heart was beating in a hurry and its sound betrayed her position. I heard the clicking sound of crystal cups… _Why is she still in my room?_ I wanted to get out and find out but I held myself into the bathtub. After a while I heard her hesitant steps approaching, and the sound of her heart and her breathing increasing gradually…she was coming to me. If I had had a heart, probably in that moment it could have beaten hers speaking of heartbeats. My eyes were fixed on the entrance; suddenly she was there, staring at me with an unfamiliar look. She lingered at the entry and I adopted a confident and calm behavior, although my entire interior seemed to want to leave my body through my mouth…

"Oh" I acted surprised "I must assume that you have considered my proposal…"

"Close your eyes…" She barely got to say, but I understood clearly every word … _Fuck…_ it would never fail to surprise me how unpredictable she was. I smiled impishly at her and did what she asked me; I closed my eyes and embraced myself for what would come, while listening to the sound of her hectic heart, her arrhythmic breathing and the soft murmur of clothes falling to the floor…


	27. Chapter 27

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hellooooo wonderful people!I hope everything goes well with you! I tried to write as fast as possible, but I couldn't update earlier. Right now I'm not able to predict when I'll be updating, because right now I don't have much free time. For the moment, until things calm down a little at work, I promise I'll do everything possible to update at least one chapter per week :) I hope you enjoy this chapter and that it was worth the wait ;) See you in the comments section!

Love you!

 **CHAPTER XXVII (Piper's POV)**

She headed for the bathroom and my mind was still working hard to comprehend what she had just said. Her proposal took away my ability to move. I had not heard wrong, I had not misunderstood her words, even when latter she had tried to take them back; she had been quite clear, and the idea seemed frighteningly alluring to me. My feet were already pointing in the direction my body wanted to go; my mind was the one that would not let me follow her, keeping me in place. How much I hated reasoning in that moment and my stupid mind. Perhaps it was time to leave reason behind. My eyes fell on the bottles containing a great variety of spirits. I thought about the night I had drunk wine and how it had helped me to free myself from my prejudices… _Maybe a drink could help me_ …I pondered as I approached the liquor table. I poured some caramel colored liquid into a glass and held it close to my nose; I rejected the smell right away; I pinched my nose with my fingers, as it was the only way I could drink the thing. In a swift movement, I swallowed the whole contents of the glass, which was only a big gulp. I felt the liquor burning my throat and my stomach; for a moment I almost wanted to puke it and get it out of my system, but I was determined to keep it inside. I breathed deeply through my nose and after a few seconds I could feel the immediate comforting and calming effect. I thought the feeling, after all, was not so bad, so I encouraged myself to take another drink…I did not dare a third gulp…

Then, with my mind a little more willing to give in, I could draw a single conclusion…What was I afraid of if I already belonged entirely to her? I was hers not only because our initial deal; I was hers for my own choice or so I had decided without being aware of it…when she gave me the opportunity to go back home and I decided to stay with her, twice; when I let her have me that first time quite willfully; and that same day, when I entrusted my life to her several times, with the certainty that nothing bad would ever happen to me being with her. I stared towards the bathroom, and pictured her; surely, she would be already naked and into the bathtub. My stomach contracted with the thought and my heart fluttered furiously. With steady pace, the best I could in my uneasy state, not because of alcohol, I walked to the bathroom. As soon as I entered, she already had her eyes on me, as if she had been waiting for me

"Oh…I must assume that you have considered my proposal…" Her voice exuded confidence, and it bothered me a little. I wish I could say the same about me. I thought anxiously that I would have to take off my clothes in front of her. How was I going to bear her gaze if sometimes I could not even bear it being fully dressed?

"Close your eyes…" I barely said in a whisper, considering if she had heard me. The glitter of her eyes and her mischievous smile were proof enough that she had. She closed her eyes but she kept a victorious smile; her vanity was sometimes irritating, but mostly, I found it engaging

Slowly but determined, I started to get rid of my clothes, with my trembling fingers struggling to unbutton my dress and untie the laces of the corset. My eyes kept watching her intently in the process, in case she opened her eyes, but she behaved. My torso was already completely uncovered and I appreciated the humid and hot air of the bathroom. My breeches were the last piece of clothes I took off. The moment of truth had come. Once I got rid of my clothes, I walked towards the bathtub and noticed that she was not smiling anymore; she seemed expectant, despite having her eyes closed. I took the opportunity to observe her without being observed. Her hair was collected in a high pony tail, leaving her long neck exposed, and some loose black strands framing her face. My eyes drifted down unwittingly, drawn by her voluptuousness. That time I did not pay attention to the strange mark on her chest and studied her bounty mounds instead, the water level not high enough to cover them. I imagined how they would feel in my hands; how her alabaster skin would feel under my touch; how would it feel like to touch her like she had touched me the other night. She cleared her throat startling me…

"Are you going to get into the bathtub or what?" She said amusingly. That was the goal right? But I did not know how to do it, because the tub was not very big I noticed; in fact, her feet almost reached the other end of it leaving no room for me to sit on the bottom. Apparently she perceived my hesitancy as she held out her hand to help me in "Come on" She encouraged me "I've been waiting for you for a long time" Her velvety voice made the hair on my nape stand on end. After arranging my hair in a bun, I took her hand without a second thought and inserted my right foot between her left knee and the side of the tub. She offered me her other hand for more support and I ended up stepping in. I was standing completely naked in front of her; thank goodness she kept her eyes closed. She gently pulled my hands down inviting me to bend over and so I did, immersing myself in the warmth of the water. Finally, I settled on my knees straddling her thighs, and my hands firmly holding the edges of the tub on both sides. I was overwhelmed by the contrast of the hot water and her cold skin. My body was barely submerged in the water up to my navel. I wished I could have sunk a little more "May I open my eyes already?" She asked and my hands instinctively went to cover my breasts, crossing my arms securely over them. Only then I nodded like an idiot, as if she could see me "Is that a yes or a no?" She insisted after a while with doubt

"Yes…" I breathed out. She slowly opened her eyelids, revealing beautifully her emerald eyes that traveled along my body from bottom to top; from the part that was covered by the water to my eyes, where she finally settled her gaze

"You are undoubtedly the most astounding thing I have ever seen" She said placing her hands on my thighs. I breathed out all the air possibly contained in my lungs. She made a strange gesture, as if she had smelled something. She sniffed the air and frowned at me "Have you been drinking?" The hint of a smile tugged the corner of her mouth

"I may have taken a drink…or two" I admitted lamely

"Uhm…I thought you said that spirits made your head foggy…" Yes, I told her that once, my first night in the Shadow Lands; I had just arrived and she had offered me something to drink "Why would you drink them now?" She tenderly asked me

"I thought... _maybe_ …it would help me calm my nerves…" I explained with a low voice

"Did it work?" She raised her eyebrows questioningly and I denied with my head making her laugh "Why would you be nervous, anyway?" She began to slowly stroke my thighs, moving her hands up and down at a gentle pace

"Because…I don't know what's going to happen" I still could not find my voice

"I don't know either" She said softly and I looked at her skeptically because… _How could she not know?_...she smiled broadly "I mean…I have a clear idea of what I want to happen but, ultimately, it won't happen anything if you don't want to…" She reassured me "So, everything is in your hands" I would swear it was the other way around, since I felt no control over anything in that moment; I could not even feel my hands. She continued speaking kindly to me, sliding her hands ever so slowly up my sides to wrap my waist with her long and cold fingers "And if…at any moment you want to stop…just tell me and I'll stop" _Yeah right!_...As if it were so easy to tell her to stop "Now…what do you think if we take off the smell of horse of us?" She proposed making me release a short laughter, feeling already calmer, although I still held my tense posture, covering my chest "Lavender essence is all I got…" She grabbed a small bottle from a little table next to the bathtub "I hope you don't mind" I had no problem with her essence; I would smell like her, why would I mind about it?

"It's fine" I agreed. She poured some drops into the water and then on the sponge

"It's going to be a little tricky for you to bathe holding your arms like that" She pointed out and dropped the sponge into the water to free her hands. She curled her fingers firmly around my wrists but did not force me to uncover my chest. I could feel my face reddening to think of being exposed like that. Yes, she had seen me naked already, but the dim light of that other time had given me some security. Not like then, when the brazier fire brightened everything with great intensity making me feel extremely self-conscious "I want to see you…and I don't want you to be ashamed for it" She said fixated on my eyes. Each one of her words turned out to be incredibly soothing. I did not know what kind of power she had, but she could make you forget about everything only with her hypnotizing voice. I relaxed my arms and she pushed them aside effortlessly. Without diverting her sight from my eyes, she picked up the sponge submerged between us and brought it to my left shoulder to wring it, letting the hot water run down my body.

She repeated the action several times along my collarbone and my right shoulder, on my neck and my back…until leaving my upper body completely soaked. The heat and the humidity, besides her touches, were making my breathing difficult. When she began to rub my skin gently with the sponge, I felt as if I was about to faint but I forced myself to keep my eyes open, reluctant to break contact with hers; I almost could get lost into her eyes, inadvertently darkened like coal. In a sudden movement, she pulled me closer to her by my waist, to have more access to my back and our fronts almost collided. I had to hold tightly to the edges of the bathtub for support when her cold hands began wandering widely on my back. With every stroke, she increased the intensity of her caresses, and I could feel her hands going further down gradually until they finally came to rest over my buttocks, taking my breath away in a wild gasp. She broke our eye contact to lower her sight to look down at my chest for the first time. Her icy breath on my breast was too tortuous; a whimper escaped from my lips and I collapsed over her, my head hanging over her shoulder. I loosened the edges of the tub and clung to her neck, burying my fingers in the hair of her nape

"Alex…" I said as a prayer by her ear "Tell me this is not wrong… _promise_ me that what I feel is not wrong…" No, it could not be wrong…why did I keep thinking about it? But I needed to hear it from her more than anyone else. She laughed hoarsely and I felt her body shaking under mine. She took my face between her hands and forced me to look at her

"How can it be _wrong_ if it feels so _right_ …?" _Certainly she had a point_ …her simple question completely vanished my doubts. If there was still any trace of doubt in me it was gone like the dirt on my skin. I leaned slightly toward her and kissed her without fear, slowly but rapturously with all the passion I had been withholding because of my narrowed mind, bringing her excruciatingly closer to me by her neck. The sensation of pleasure was so intense that it could almost be described as painful; I could feel the coldness of her front pressed mouth-wateringly against mine, yet, her body did not seem close enough, although literally between us there was no room for a single strand of hair. I feasted on her lips taking my time, and apparently she was more than keen to give me all the time in the world for it. Her hands returned to the lower part of my back, and ever so slowly she slid them under and began kneading that part of me with great fervor. The bliss went in crescendo and as she squeezed more intensely, I kissed her more vehemently, pushing my tongue blatantly into her mouth. I felt something beginning to form in the deepest part of my throat, and the need of release was just too much. Suddenly her grip became infinitely more forceful and that was the trigger for letting go an elaborated moan that echoed throughout the stay, despite being quite muffled with her mouth…

"Pipes…" She growled against my lips and moved along my jaw line nibbling every inch on her way to the entrance of my ear "I _need_ you…" She sucked my earlobe moistly and leaned back to face me "I _want_ you…" Her voice was low and rough in accordance with her untamed gaze; she had never looked so _dangerous_ ; she had never looked so _beautiful_. But the last thing her feral face made me feel was fear. I stroked the back of her neck with my fingers and I immediately noticed the subtle change in her eyes, the roughness in them appeasing with every caress. I smiled mesmerized by the view…

"You cannot want what you already have…" I let her know as the greatest of my confessions. A wicked smile was drawn on her lips instantly. In less than a second, I no longer felt the hot water. My body was totally wrapped in the cold, and my position was different; I was lying down. It took me a couple of seconds to understand that she had taken us to the bed directly from the bathtub. I saw her over me, resting her weight on her elbows not to rest it on me; her face was glowing with amusement. I got goose bumps all over my skin…

"Are you cold?" Nothing went unnoticed for her

"I don't care…" The last thing I thought about was the cold. In fact, I was truly enjoying the chilly feeling of her body over mine. It had a soothing effect over the burning sensation that was building rapidly in my insides

"You don't care uh?" She retorted smiling playfully and I shook my head. She looked at me with infinite tenderness and kissed me deeply. My hands were at my sides, grabbing the sheets tensely. Her left hand traveled down my right arm and wrapped my right fist "You need to relax" She broke the kiss to whisper into my mouth, her hand forced my fist to open " _Touch me_ " She said that time a couple of inches away from me staring me absorbedly and I obeyed a little fearful. I did not know what to do with my hands, so they perched on the closest thing I had under my reach, her hips. I watched her face to measure her reaction. Her gaze only encouraged me to continue. I traveled up along her back sheepishly, absorbing every detail on the way with my fingertips. The smoothness of her cold skin was exceptional, and her muscles felt like they were carved in marble. Her breathing was becoming sharper, it almost sounded as a soft hum of pleasure. I traced her shoulders blades and my hands ended up meeting on the back of her neck. She closed her eyes when I began to bury my fingers in the blackness of her hair. I undid the knot that kept her hair tied to dip my fingers more easily into the thickness of it as plentiful locks of black fell like the night on my face, flooding my nostrils with her distinctive scent. I breathed her in and combed her hair with my fingers, amazed by the softness of it. She let out a faint growl that made my hair stand on end...

"Don't stop touching me" She said as if in pain. I brought her closer to me, pulling her lightly by her hair; I missed her lips already, and although at first they seemed lethargic, after some pecks they came back to life, and so did she. She began kissing me almost aggressively but I could not complain; it felt superbly. She shifted her body to one side, propping herself with her left arm. I remained with my hands attached to her hair, never wanting to let her go. Her right hand cupped my face and then I felt her spreading my legs apart burying her right knee between them. Suddenly, my intimacy sensed the coldness of the soft skin of her thigh pressed hardly against my core. My whole body reacted to the touch, arching my back involuntarily and burying my head deeper into the pillows, breaking momentarily the joints of our lips to catch my breath "Oh Pipes…you are so wet" She said outrageously against my neck, which she assaulted without delay with little bites interleaved with moist kisses, driving me absolutely crazy. With my mind completely stunned I could barely think about what she had just said… _Wet?..._ Of course I was wet, we had just got out of the bathtub

"Maybe…we should have…dried our bodies…before…getting into bed" I said short of breath. Her whole body shook tremendously out of laughter and faced me

"I did not mean _that_ kind of _wetness_ " She muttered naughtily "And you have _no idea_ what I am talking about, right?" She must have noticed my confused look

"Honestly… _no_ " I spoke softly. The look of affection that appeared on her face made my insides melt

"You are the sweetest thing…" She said devotedly and her free hand moved down, from my cheek, along my neck, to rest in middle of my chest. Her gaze followed the same path and lingered on my breasts. I observed each one of her facial gestures; I did not want to look away. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue and leaned toward my chest excruciatingly unhurried. She barely licked my right nipple with a sound of contentment making my heart explode "The sweetest thing indeed…" She said and unleashed her tongue and wrapped delicately the sensitive tip causing delicious tremors in my core, while the fingers of her hand got distracted with my other breast. I could almost cry with what she was making me feel. The moans and whimpers coming out of my mouth became irrepressible and she seemed to enjoy them since as they increased, she wrapped my breast more vividly between her lips, her tongue continued to playing various games with my bud restlessly. The sensation was just too much. I nailed my fingers into her scalp, pressing her face more keenly against me. She trapped my nipple between her teeth and gave it a small bite, which only caused a minor pain that made me discharge a sound halfway between complaint and bliss. She let it go to then lick it tenderly to soothe the subtle soreness. She continued licking the way _up_ …I would have expected her to go down, like the other night. As much as I enjoyed her lips again on mine, I needed her mouth to do those wonderful things she had already done that first time. I was feeling an increasing tension in _that_ specific part of my body and the insistence of her thigh pressed against it, although exquisite, did not seem to bring enough relief. As she kissed me ardently, she ran the fingers that had been fiddling with my tit, teasingly down along my ribs, to my navel…I giggled as it tickled me "Are you ticklish?" She asked curiously

"Just a little" I recognized

"Mmmm…" She murmured against my lips sending vibrations down my spine "Interesting" She withdrew her face a little from me to observe me attentively with a teasing smile while her fingers ran all over my belly tickling me on purpose. I tried hard not to laugh but I couldn't hold it after a while

"Stop it!" I burst out with laughter. Her fingers froze and her jokey signs were gone in an instant. It worried me her sudden change of mood. But after some seconds, I could see the hint of a smile cracking on her severe gesture. I felt her hand moving again, that time sliding down firmly, no teasing anymore, until her fingers ran into my bush of hair…

"Does this cause you to tickle?" She asked caressing the dark patch. No…that did not make me tickle

"No…" I gasped

" _Good_ …because I do not intend to make you laugh tonight" She said as a promise, sliding her fingers a little further, touching that wonderful spot that her lips had already kissed, and causing me to whine. That was the place where I wanted to be touched the most…the place that seemed to quiver when I thought and dreamed of her. She began to rub it gently with the pad of her fingers never diverting her eyes from mine. My breathing increased dangerously. I tried to draw her closer to me, needing more contact with her but the resisted and kept her position "Uh uh" she denied "I want to see you" Under her scrupulous gaze I felt more vulnerable than ever. For some reason the moment was more intimate than the others; staring into each other's eyes while she touched me like that. My face was on fire and her fingers rubbed more and more mercilessly drawing patterns rhythmically…How could anything feel so good?...It was the only thought my mind could collect. Her movements stopped all of a sudden, painfully, after a moment that could have been minutes, seconds, hours…but never enough time. I groaned in protest making her laugh quietly "Don't worry, I'm not done with you" My stomach contracted with her words that sounded like a sweet threat. I could feel her fingers creeping further down towards a territory that she had not yet explored, but her touch in there was more than welcome "Will you tell me if it hurts?" She asked me seriously… _What was she going to do?_...I wondered but did not ask her and simply nodded, accepting whatever she wanted to do with me, relying entirely on her

She began circling the new spot, pressing her hand against my core…I did not know what she was doing, but the sensation was not unpleasant, much less painful. Her heavy moan came together with mine in the moment I felt a cold intrusion inside of me _…she_ was inside of me. I looked deeply into her eyes and she began thrusting into me, very slowly at first until reaching a stable pace. That was…that was a _whole_ different thing. Why didn't she do that to me our first time together? I became aware of a feeling of pressure growing inside of me, invading my whole belly. I had the need to close my eyes, wanting to concentrate more on the feeling. She decreased her pace and I felt the loss of her coldness. I opened my eyes and looked at her with puzzlement; she was already appeasing my doubts before I had the chance to ask "Shhh…" She gave a little peck on the lips "I'm still not done with you" She smirked wittily and resumed her purpose. I sensed a slight feeling of discomfort at the entrance that made me wince, which made her stop immediately to ask me with concern "Does it hurt?"

"No…" I admitted; it was not _pain_ itself, more like a sting. She believed me and again, she continued her way into me. The trespass felt more invasive; maybe it began hurting a little, but I did my best to keep a straight face for her sake; she did not take her eyes off me. Besides, the feeling was quite substantial and there was something wonderful about her being inside me. Once more, she began the thrusting movement, hitting something in my interior for which I had no name; slowly at first but always pushing herself further and further, increasing her pace gradually. The pain caused by her movements was completely eclipsed by the rest of sensations. That strange and glorious stir began to form again in the depths of my being, while our frenzied bodies moved like one with our eyes locked on a steady gaze; I whimpered strenuously, my shyness lost a while ago in the waters of the bath. The desire to feel her lips became insufferable suddenly; I tugged her from her neck to bring her closer to me, and that time she did not resist my pull. The moment our lips came together, something exploded inside of me making me tremble terrifically, like an earthquake in my very depths. She muffled every moan with her mouth merged with mine, while keeping the steady thrust of her hand. At some point the quivers became less forceful and frequent, decreasing gradually with her movements. At some point, everything stopped and I could regain my senses, although they were somehow clouded. I inhaled her cold breath that emanated sharply from her mouth. I opened my eyes and found hers just an inch apart tightly closed, and I noticed a grimace on her face… _Why?_... I stroked her face lightly with my fingers, as if I could smooth her gestures

"Alex…" I barely gasped while recovering my breath "Are you alright?" But she did not respond "Alex…" I said again after a moment with more force. She opened her eyes finally, yet, her gesture of pain I did not like "Are you hurt?" I could not understand how could that be possible, but I asked her anyway. She relaxed a little her hurting expression and smiled ever so tender

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same?" Her voice sounded fainted, weak "How are you?"

"Worried about you" I retorted annoyed for ignoring my question

"Well…" She began saying and leaned in to give me a gentle kiss "Don't worry about me…I could not be better" Her answer did not mollified my concerns

"You promise?" I insisted and she laughed wholeheartedly, still a little faint

"I promise" She calmed down my doubts. Only then I realized that I could still feel her inside. The lower part of my abdomen fluttered with the thought, and she was aware of it, as she immediately proceeded to withdraw herself from me very gently, even so, it caused me some soreness making me sob "I'm sorry…" She muttered while continuing to withdraw until I felt her loss "Did I hurt you?" She asked me with great concern with her hand covering the mound under my belly protectively

"No you didn't" I grinned far and wide by the sudden sense of happiness invading my soul in that instant. She returned the smile and rewarded me with a generous kiss, much more humble that the previous ones, but loaded with the same yearning. My hands remained curled around her neck when she broke the kiss and settled slightly to my right, taking off completely from me. Panic gripped me momentarily, thinking that she would leave me like the other night we had been together, clinging more tightly to her neck…

"What is it?" She frowned deeply sensing my fretfulness

"Are you leaving?" I could not help asking her shyly, fearing that she would know how much I needed her company. She sighed deeply and stared at me longingly for a while

"No…" She meant it "I'm staying right here…I just thought you'd be cold" Once she said it, yes; I was beginning to feel cold with my body utterly exposed…I relaxed my hands to loosen the grip around her neck; my fingers ached vastly, maybe due to the tense grip I had been holding for such a long time, or maybe because it was hard to let her go. She picked up the corner of the bedspread and pulled from it to wrap me with it warmly. Although I would have loved to continue to feel her, I could not deny that I needed some warmth "I'll go and light the fireplace…I don't want you to get a cold because of me" She said and leaned into me to stamp her lips wetly on my forehead before getting out of bed. Unlike me, she did not seem to be cold. I gazed her as she walked towards the fireplace faultlessly naked. I lifted up my upper body a little, lying more comfortably against the pillows on the headboard, with the sole purpose of examine her in all her fullness…she was marvelous; a creature that did not seem to belong to this world. I was too absorbed memorizing every piece of her until her voice interrupted me " _Someone_ once told me that _staring_ was kind of rude" I had been caught gawking at her like an imbecile and she paraphrased pompously the exact words I told her when I had admonished her for staring me during dinner two nights ago. I had been watching her with such impudence that I felt the need to apologize for my manners diverting my eyes…

"I…I'm…sorry" I heard the ringing in my ears that always accompanied my blushing, but above it, her laughter stood out resounding against every corner of the great room. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see her approaching towards me. She sat on the edge of the bed I was closest to

"Pipes…" Her term of endearment she made her own, never failed to cause butterflies in my stomach "I was just messing with you" She said with a soft chuckle "And…I kind of like it you know…" She began with secretive voice leaning ever so slightly towards me "You staring at me" I already could feel the chilly air of her words in my face that made me close my eyes…How could she affect my heart so easily?...She gave me a quick peck on my lips and leaned in further to whisper to my ear "Just as I want to stare at you" She kissed my cheek and I sensed her gaze again on me. I opened my eyes to meet hers " _Unashamedly_ …" She sentenced then, depositing an affectionate last kiss on the tip of my nose, taking me by surprise with her next question "Are you hungry?" Our dinner plans had completely gone astray. A _certain_ situation had made me completely forget about food, but the truth, at that moment I was not hungry, as in fact, tiredness overclouded my other needs…

"No…I'm actually not hungry at all" I let her know

"Are you tired?" I narrowed my eyes slightly…I was beginning to truly believe that she could read people's minds "It's been a long day, with… _too many_ emotions" I smiled at the memory of everything that had happened that day, it seemed to have no end "You must be exhausted" she caressed the space between my eyebrows with her thumb

"Just…a little" I miserably lied; of course, she did not buy it

"Then you'd better go to sleep…" I did not know what she meant by that…was she referring to taking me to my room? She gave me no time to worry about it, as she immediately added "Let me blow the candles off and I'll be with you in an instant" So...she was intending that I stayed with her. My heart could not fit in my chest. As she assured me, in an instant she was back with me. There was still some light in the room, offered by the fireplace, so I could distinguish her in the copper light, lying down right by my side. She wrapped me in her arms and turned me over her very slowly, positioning my head on her chest, although not in direct contact with her skin; she took care of throwing a sheet over herself first, maybe thinking that her coldness could be unwanted for me. I settled comfortably without restrictions, circling her waist tightly with my right arm; she held me closely and let loose my hair undoing my bun with care, disentangling the mess with her fingers; I was meaning to stay awake as much as possible, however, those reassuring caresses ended up defeating me until I could not hold my eyelids open. The last thing I was aware of, it was her, taking a deep breath and nuzzling the top of my head with her nose

"Have sweet dreams…" I heard her murmur

"I will…" I said roughly before falling into a pleasing oblivion, where I continued to enjoy her in my dreams that had never been so sweet


	28. Chapter 28

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Better late than never! I have not been able to resume my previous pace of two chapters per week, besides, this chapter took me a long time, and I began writing the next one (which will be great) before actually finishing this one. So, I'm sorry for the delay, but HEY! this chapter is really long! that's worth the delay right? Thank you so much for your patience. If you see it's taking me too long to update, I promise is not because I'm leaving the story aside. I'm very committed to the story and I will finish it! Only that lately I've been really busy and I don't have as much time as before :( but whenever I can I start writing like crazy XD Enjoyyyy! Love you all!

 **CHAPTER XXVIII (ALEX'S POV)**

It had dawn already and she remained as when she had fallen asleep. All the weight of her head resting nicely on my chest and her arm wrapped around me loosely. She seemed immersed in the deepest of dreams, not even noticing the fidgety caresses of my fingers twisting over and over in her hair. I spent the whole night delighted with her presence, captivated by her warmth and the sturdy beating of her heart. She had definitely broken all the schemes of my life, I thought. I had never invited anyone to take a bath with me; just the thought of it was hideous. Furthermore, she was the first woman that had ever spent the night on my bed. I would have never stayed in bed with anyone just watching them sleep; it was something that never interested me at all, spending so much time with someone and discover even the smallest detail about them, like the fact that she snored; a feature that would have been insignificant to me if it had been someone else's, I found it to be an extremely charming trait of her, and I was happy to know just that little piece of information.

Her deep breathing and her slight snoring were clear signs that she had no intention of waking up anytime soon. How absurd it could be to miss someone so much when they were right there with you? I almost wanted to wake her up, but it seemed cruel not to let her rest for as long as she wanted. Too many things had happened the day before that surely had left her exhausted. I swelled with pride while moments of the night before kept repeating in my mind. Without a doubt, that night had been the most glorious of my life. Her diffidence surpassed by her more than evident desire to let go was something I found exceptionally alluring. She was determined to give herself to me and I was more than willing to help her comply with her resolution. The fervent way in which her body responded magnificently to each one of my touches made me drive her further and further. Even above the hot water of the tub, I could feel the heat emanating from her core delectably against my lower abdomen. Still, I resisted the urge to possess her until I was completely sure she was ready, but when she implied that she was already _mine_ …that was just too much to bear. In the blink of an eye I took her to bed directly from the bath without caring to ruin the delicate sheets that covered my bed; she could spoil all the sheets in the world if she wanted.

My desire for her was immeasurable and as much as I wanted to enjoy her in unimaginable ways, I had to contain my primal instincts and being very careful since I had decided to own her _entirely_ ; she was more than ready for it, her thick and warm humidity against my thigh told me so; still, I took my time worshiping all of her parts, more profusely than the first time. I indulged myself to enjoy abundantly her flawless tits, hardening her nipples extraordinarily. She seemed to be quite sensitive in that area and the only thing that made me divert my attention from her chest, was her growing wetness that I could swear was beginning to run down my thigh, she needed me _there_. I resisted the temptation to bury my face in the spring of her arousal, as I had another purpose. I came to help in her relief with my fingers; when they ran into the damp heat contained between her legs my mouth watered lavishly…she could not be more soaked. My fingers burned only with the memory of having been inside of her, and although the outcome had ended up being agonizingly painful for me, all I wanted was to own her again and again. Every second of her closeness seemed to weaken me gradually, but when she reached her climax, she had left me completely defeated, like the first time. I had never been so stunned…my mind was completely misplaced, as if she had hit me hard on the head with a shovel.

I returned to the present and wondered why _that_ happened while playing with a long golden lock from her hair. The feeling was quite unpleasant and it made me feel extremely vulnerable. It dazzled me, not in a good way, and all I could do was to close my eyes tightly wishing for the bad moment to happen. It was as if my whole body were skinned, raw…everything hurt…but it had been perhaps more bearable than the first time, maybe because I already knew what to expect; I had not been taken by surprise, in fact, I embraced it willingly. Once the bad feeling began to fade, my senses returned to focus on her; I could feel my fingers still wrapped by her pulsing warmth; I could hear the madding beating of her heart and above all those wonderful things, I could delight myself with her satiated face, so after all, the bitter moment was totally worth it because she was worth it. I took a deep breath and hold her tightly against my chest embracing the present.

After another long moment, I finally accepted that she was not going to wake up anytime soon, so I decided to let her sleep while I got dressed and bring us something for breakfast, knowing for sure that she was going to wake up quite hungry. I buried my nose in the crown of her head, inhaling her purest essence before getting out of bed. Very carefully, I took her arm off of me and I slid my body to one side, holding her head with my hands and replacing my torso with a pillow. As careful as I was, she was slightly disturbed by the movement, interrupting her snoring immediately. I watched her warily waiting for her to open her eyes but relaxed right away when she resumed her exquisite sounds. I was enthralled by observing how peaceful she seemed…I walked away from her reluctantly to get dressed. Once I did so, I went to the kitchen to get something for breakfast. Thankfully, Nicky was not around; otherwise, I would had to face her inquisitive questions, Red was not so nosy

"Good morning My Lady…" Red greeted me "As always, it is a pleasure to see you around my humble kitchen"

"Thank you Red…and good morning to you too" The words came out as a melody from my mouth. She was taken aback by my humorous greeting

"You are in a very good mood" She gave me a knowing smile "I must assume that your day went according to the plan…" She said, not in a probing manner so I was even glad to confirm her words

"Yes, it did" She smiled me fondly and did not ask anything else about the subject

"Your breakfast is ready at the table" I turned to see a big tray loaded with a lot of food "There's plenty of food for two" She hinted with the shadow of a smile

"Thank you Red" I grinned at her and left

Once in my room, I arranged the table with our breakfast, making a little noise in the process… _maybe_ purposefully; I really wanted her to wake up. I felt a little guilty when I heard her sounds of complaint infinitely low. I approached her and observed her restless, still a little numb. She was lying on her stomach, the arm that used to be around me groping for something blindly on the sheets… _she is looking for me…_ I thought with great affection. I sat at the edge of the bed and leaned toward her kissing her uncovered back, between her shoulder blades; my touch seemed to calm her immediately…

"Alex?" She muttered with sleepy voice making me laugh.

"Good morning sleepyhead" I said softly on her ear and saw her cheek rising "Are you intending to sleep all day?" I asked her and again, she released a grumble of protest "Are you always so grumpy in the morning?" I pulled from the sheets exposing her back entirely, resisting the temptation of uncovering her buttocks as well, and spread kisses all over her back making her giggle…

"Stop!" She was already wide awake. She sought with her hands the edge of the sheets to cover herself again up to her neck and turned around to lie on her back, holding the sheets tightly against her body; her cheeks shaded with the most beautiful crimson tone. I found it funny that she tried really hard to protect her nakedness after everything that had happened the night before…

"Good morning" I told her from above with a grin

"Good morning" She echoed shyly

"Breakfast is on the table" I said tentatively raising my eyebrows, knowing that _that_ would be the best way to get her out of bed; her eyes opened wide as soon as I said the word _breakfast_. I got out of bed and stood by its side, offering her my hand. She took it and sat at the edge, holding the sheets fervently with her right arm on her chest

"But I…" She began clearly embarrassed "I'm not wearing any clothes…" As much as I liked to enjoy her discomfort, which seemed lovely to me, I suppressed my wickedness and instead, I went to the bathroom to get my nightgown…

"Is it enough to preserve your decorum?" I offered her the garment with a hint of graciousness

"Yes it is…" She accepted with a wide smile. I proceeded to wrap her shoulders with the gown and she very carefully slid her arms down the sleeves never neglecting the firm grip of the sheets that protected her chest…I thought about how much fun it was going to be to break those habits of modesty in her. Once she tied the bathrobe securely around her waist, she got out of bed with my assistance and I, in an uncontrollable outburst, drew her impossibly close to me wrapping my arms around her waist, in a sudden movement that made her gasp against my mouth, since my lips were already on hers to lavish her with a kiss. It was amazing how she could incite such human actions in me. I forced myself to break the kiss, otherwise in a few seconds I would probably find myself _on her_ in bed. She exhaled deeply as soon as our lips got apart and held my shoulders as if she were about to lose her balance "Wow…" She breathed out; I winked at her playfully and walked away from her nonchalantly, leaving her stunned

"I hope you are very hungry" I began talking over my shoulder while walking towards the table "Red made enough food to feed an army" I turned around when I was aware that she was not coming. She was watching the bed with a gesture of concern; she leaned over the bed and ran a hand over the covers "Piper?" I was already at her side and my eyes fell on the small crimson spots over the golden bedspread "Oh…"

"I…I'm sorry…I will clean it" She whispered mortified not daring to divert her gaze from the droplets of blood

"Hey…" I cupped her cheek forcing her gently to face me "It's alright…it's completely natural" I assured her "And you don't have to clean it…we'll tell someone of the service staff to do it…"

"No!" She denied anxiously "Everybody will see it…everybody will know" She lowered her sight infinitely. It was evident that the whole situation was quite shameful for her

"In that case…" I said casually, pulling out the big piece of cloth that covered the bed in a swift movement

"What are you doing?" She asked warily, still a little agitated

"Don't worry…" I smiled at her and walked toward the fireplace making a bundle with the sheets "Nobody will know about it" I said and threw the bunch into the fire walking back to her "See?" Her anguish had already subsided noticeably and a timid smile was starting to tug on her lips

"Thank you…" Although I could still feel a certain shame in her voice

"Are you alright?" I asked her deeply holding her face in my hands, thinking how inconsiderate I had been for not asking her after what had happened last night, needing the blood droplets to remind me of it…

"I'm perfectly fine…" Her eyes shone beautifully while delivering her words "I'm starving though" She pointed out making me laugh profusely

"Let's have breakfast then" I grabbed her hand and guided her to the table, offering her a sit

She began to eat copiously with great appetite and I dedicated myself to observe her as it was already mandatory. She was pretty aware of my thorough stare, but contrary to other times, it did not seem to disturb her anymore…

"So…" she began saying after drinking some tea "What are your plans for today?" She asked sheepishly… _Whatever, as long as they include you with little clothes…and maybe a bed, but I'm open to suggestions…_

"I don't know" I simply said, and got alert immediately hearing more than familiar steps down the hall approaching my room "Ammm…would you excuse me for a minute?" She was taken aback by my imperative tone but I did not give her time to respond as I disappeared within a second. I stopped Nicky just two steps from my door, I had to close her mouth with my hand muffling her scream; I had surprised her appearing so unexpectedly " _Shhhhh_ " I warned her to keep her mouth shut before withdrawing my hand

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She said with a hushed voice

"Piper is in there…" I whispered; under no circumstances I was going to let Nicky in, she would probably make Piper feel uncomfortable with her jokes about having spent the night with me

"Yes I know she is in there… _everybody_ knows she is in there…" She rolled her eyes

"Then what are you doing here?" I asked slightly annoyed

"There's a _situation_ …" she said sternly "I did not mean to interrupt you but I had no choice" Her serious tone took me of guard

"What happened?" I asked with reservation

"A group of men escaped from the mines" I relaxed immediately. It was not a serious business, in fact it happened quite often, but it could have not happened at a worse moment

"How many?" I wanted to know

"Apparently eleven…"

"Eleven!" I exclaimed keeping my voice subdued "How is that even possible? How come eleven men escape under the guards' noses?"

"There are too many prisoners Alex, it's really hard to keep them all under control…" She was right…it was necessary to increase the number of guards…

"Whatever! When the hell did this happen?" I already wanted to make them pay for ruining my day

"Yesterday…very early in the morning" She recognized weakly

"And why did you not tell me right away?" I asked with my jaw clenched

"Because…Red told me that you had taken Piper for a ride, I did not want to bother you so…I tried to take care of it but…"

"And you thought it was better to go after those men alone?" I interrupt her to admonish her. I could not care less about the escaped men, I got angry because I did not like Nicky risking her life like that. When men tried to escape from their punishment, they were no longer afraid of anything and they were willing to do whatever was necessary in order to never go back to the mines. Under those circumstances, men became more dangerous than ever…

"I was not _alone_ , I had some backup" she poorly excused herself

"Still, it was a reckless thing to do and I forbid you to risk your life so stupidly again…Do you understand?" I was really mad at her for suggesting that she had tried to solve the problem without telling me.

"Fine fine…I'm sorry" She acknowledged her mistake raising her hands in a gesture of surrender

"Good…I'll take care of it right after finishing breakfast; I don't want to leave Piper so abruptly" They already had a day of advantage…anyway, it's not that they could actually find the way out of the Shadow Lands…

" _Soooo_ …how did it go?" She asked changing her serious charade and wiggling her eyebrows, tilting her head towards the door

"Nicky please…I beg you" I got serious "Contain yourself from making such jokes with Piper"

"I wouldn't dare!" She exclaimed offended making me roll my eyes and let out a snort in disbelief "I'll _try_ really hard not to" She finally admitted

"And to answer your question…" I said amusingly and her face lit up at once expectantly, thinking that I was actually going to give her a piece of detail "You know I don't like to brag about my accomplishments"

"Aha! So you achieved something!" She exclaimed delightedly

"Maybe yes, maybe no" I said unflappably "Now go…and let me finish breakfast" I warned her and she did as I said and I went back with _her_

"Is everything alright?" Piper asked slightly concerned

"Yes…why wouldn't be alright?"

"I heard you arguing with Nicky…" She regretted her words right away "I mean, it was not my intention to eavesdrop…her voice was easy to hear…" She explained and I laughed

"Yeah well…Nicky's voice can be heard for miles" I joked so she would relax "And she only came to report a _little_ incident" I took a sit again to continue our breakfast

"Can I… _know_ about it?" Her tone was not intrusive; still she seemed a little reticent to ask

"Of course you can…" In fact, I liked that she seemed interested about my businesses "A group of prisoners have escaped from the mines…" I explained her undisturbed

"Is that serious?" She still seemed worried

"No, not really, it's not that they can escape from the Shadow Lands" I smiled her to keep a light mood "Only that I must go after them…"

"Oh…" She let go with a hint of disappointment

"I'm sorry…It was my intention to spend the day with you but I have to go and find these men, I'll be back soon, is an easy job" I tried to appease her discontent

"Can I come with you?" She suggested and my insides revolted just with the thought

"Absolutely not!" I answered her maybe a little too harsh, startling her soundly, her eyes were filled with fear before my brusqueness "I'm sorry…" I softened my tone and reached her hand on the table to give her an apologetic squeeze "It's too dangerous…I could not expose you to such perils"

"But you said it was an _easy_ job…" She said softly

"It is… _for me_ …" I clarified smiling her and giving her another reassuring squeeze on her hand before letting it go so that we could resume our breakfast

"Are you…going alone?" She asked after a moment, while smearing a toast with jam

"Yes…"

"How big is the group of men?" She continued asking

"Apparently _only_ eleven men"

" _Only_ eleven!?" She exclaimed in surprise dropping her toast "Are you…are you sure you can handle them alone?"

"Are you worried about me?" I asked her with a tone of disbelief, but grinning like an idiot to think she cared about me

"Well…yes" She uncertainly recognized

"That's sweet…but slightly offensive" I joked "Believe me, I can take care of myself…not even a thousand men could pose a threat to me" I wanted to appease her anguish but my words shadowed her face considerably and I did not understand her gestures. Without a word, she resumed her breakfast in silence. Once we were over with breakfast, I got up and stood by her side. She raised her sight in wonder and I leaned down to her to plant a kiss on her forehead…"It won't take me too long" I promised her

"Alright…" She whispered with the clue of a smile flourishing on her lips "See you later then"

"See you later" I guaranteed and after stroking her cheek with my thumb I immediately set to work

I went to the mines and as always, I assessed the landscape to put myself in the skin of an idiot who was trying to escape from there… _Where would I go?..._ I asked to myself and the answer was always the same. Towards the north, towards the forest thicket… _Idiots…_ they always chose the worst way thinking that the forest would protect them. I decided to walk, I found it easier to follow any lead and move more easily that way. My senses sharpened as soon as I entered into the woods, getting ready for the hunt, but I immediately realized that my senses did not seem very sharp that morning, as if they were slightly sedated. I wondered with dread if Piper would be the cause of it…if the effect she had on me might be starting to affect my abilities… _Perhaps…_ But I discarded those thoughts from my mind to focus on my quest. After some walk I caught in the air a smell more than known to me, the smell of fear; it was the same for all humans, but the trail was not recent and took me nowhere… _Damn it!..._ At some point I lost it, not a common thing in me. I turned around and started the journey again, from the beginning of the trail. If only one of them would say my name accidentally; but no, few made that mistake after having known me. They used to fill their minds with absurd songs and recited meaningless prayers to keep their minds occupied, not to think of me; sometimes that also betrayed them, if they were stupid enough to muttered those things even as a whisper, in the immense silence of the forest it would be as if they were screaming begging for me to find them.

Too many hours had passed and I could not progress; the situation was turning quite frustrating. I even considered about leaving the men in the woods, they would find a certain death sooner than later, but my damn pride prevented me from giving them that. Without doubt, if you gave them to choose, they preferred to die in the forest than to return to the mines and I would not give them the pleasure of choosing. They had to pay for their atrocious crimes _in life_. Wasting my time like an idiot was starting to make me real mad but anger only made me more determined to find their whereabouts. It did not help that I still was not completely in control of my senses; I relied completely on them, and I felt vulnerable knowing that something was wrong, afraid that I would not be able to recover them… _You surrendered to her, remember?..._ Yes, and there was no turning back. It was late afternoon when I finally got my reward; someone made a serious and stupid mistake…someone had said my name, and as it was my duty, I presented myself _respectfully_ to my petitioner.

In the blink of an eye, my right hand was already curled around the blackened neck due to coal dust of one of the miserable ones who thought it was a good idea to escape from me. With the corner of my eyes I could perceive the rest of the group, strategically forming a circle…it was an ambush. I noticed with amusement quite confident that they could not do anything to me, but my fun was over with a scream of _NOW!_ And I felt a dry blow and heard the creak of my skull, so hard, that my hand immediately released the man in front of me and I fell to the ground on my knees truly stunned by the blow. Before I could react, I received another blow on my back. I saw the curved tip of a metal object protruding through my chest…I used all my strength to disappear, before receiving a third stroke. I fell face down against the damp earth somewhere in the forest, unable to get up. The punching object was still inside me. I reached the handle of it behind my back… _What the hell is this?..._ I thought when I got it wrapped with my fingers. I yanked it out of me in a quick motion, letting out a guttural growl of frustration. How was it that a group of eleven imbeciles had managed to set me up? I knew the answer…I had been overconfident, not taking into account that day I was feeling quite weakened.

With the object out of me, that turned out to be a long pick for breaking rocks, I turned on my back and sat down to assess my condition. I was feeling dizzy, presumably due to the blow I got in my head that kept hurting intensely. I found the wound with my fingers; I touched the rim of what appeared to be a large and deep hole just above my left ear, surely, they had used the same object that they had nailed on my back. I saw my fingers covered with thick dark blood and got a little alarmed. I rarely got to bleed when I was wounded; my healing capacity was so powerful that the wounds usually were closed almost immediately, not giving time for blood to sprout. I tried to keep calm, consoling myself with the fact that at least the pain seemed to diminish over time… _Fuckers…_ I thought with great animosity of those men. As soon as I felt a little better, they had no idea what was coming for them.

It began getting _dangerously_ dark, _for them_. Darkness was my best ally, as the forest became darker, I could sense my strength improving, though the wounds were not completely closed, my mind was already sharp. The second time I found them, it would be the last one. In fact, it was easier, since I started where I had been trapped, and from there, the smell of fear was too recent. I was almost on them, stepping already on their heels, but they would not see me coming that time. I could already hear their forced breathing and their hearts beating with terror, and other sounds, triggered by me; the noise of the dormant roots being awakened by orders of mine…

"Shhh…did you hear that?" A man stopped and asked the others

"Shut up Will… _it_ will find us" Another one warned "We need to keep moving"

"I must correct you" I said out loud sheltered by the darkness, all steps stopping at once, they began turning their heads in every direction looking frantically for the source of my voice "It will not find you…I already did" I did not move a single finger. I stayed undaunted just observing the roots and branches coming to life. In vain, the men tried to run away, between screams of panic and despair, but one by one, they began falling trapped before the inexorable grip of the lively forest… _And people think it's dead…_ I thought sarcastically. Once they were all caught I silenced them with authoritative voice "Shut up if you don't want to piss me off more than you already have" The screams ceased and I delighted myself with their dread "You think you are too smart, don't you?" I began walking between the bundles of the scared men wrapped with the roots "First, you try to escape _thinking_ you could find the way out of the Shadow Lands, and then…you really thought you could _defeat_ me…" I added with a mocking tone "Although, I must admit that you have done me some harm. I'm really impressed…but if I were you, I would not rejoice over that fact" I crouched to look closely at the face of one of the criminals "If I were you I would be pissing in my pants right now for what is about to happen to you" I gently threatened looking into his eyes "Whose idea was it to escape and who hit me?" I asked him and he began to sob pathetically refusing to answer "This is going to end badly for all of you…but it will definitely end up _worse_ for some" The one who had the idea to escape keeping me from spending the day with Piper and the one who had hit me were going to end worse for sure "I recommend you to take my advice, answer my question and I promise I'll be merciful" I suggested and repeated the question "Whose idea was it to escape? And who the hell dared to attack me?" I growled profusely

"Derek…" The man whimpered the name "He…did…everything" I looked around assessing every face, trying to discern who Derek was…I knew it was the one with the worst gesture of terror as soon as my eyes laid on him

"You did good…" I returned my attention to the men at my feet "Last words?" He widened his eyes

"But…you…you…you said you will be merciful" He garbled

"Believe me, I'm being merciful" Too kind with that piece of garbage "I will give you a quick and painless death, even when you don't deserve it" He did not deserve such a sweet end, but I had promised kindness, and my word was everything "I will ask you again…last words?" He denied with his head, his eyes tightly closed, and I asked him what I asked to every sentenced to death "Do you regret your crimes?" He opened his eyes to look at me intently to say with great determination

"No" _Piece of shit…_ I thought while burying my hand in his chest catching his heart in my fist to crush it with all my force. Then, some strange feeling took over my whole body; I felt empowered, renewed…I felt the wounds, still not completely closed, healing instantaneously, as if the heart of that man had fed the darkness that dwelt within me. I had sentenced thousands of men throughout my existence, and I knew that the evil in them made me somehow stronger, invincible. What I had never experienced was the feeling of replenishment that took me in as soon as I took the life of the man who lay with immovable eyes under my astonished gaze; perhaps because I had never truly found myself weakened in the first place. It was an interesting discovery indeed. If she made me weak as it was clear that she did…I could somehow mend the _damage_ she caused in me. Of course, those thoughts were mere conjectures, as I did not even could understand what was what she was causing in me in the first place, but I would have time to speculate about it later. I turned my attention again to certain men. I got up, feeling considerably better and walked towards the one that was supposed to be Derek; by the smell I knew he had ruined his pants…

"Oh Derek…" I said disgracefully with a grimace

"Pleeeaseee…I'll do whatever you want…" He cried, like there was something he could do for me. I cut out his voice putting my left foot on his windpipe, not to stop him from breathing, only from begging miserably, if there was something I could not stand, it was the pitiful whining of criminals. From my position, I was too tempted to see if another death could strengthen me even more. I stepped on his throat harder choking him steadily and I could feel the power growing in me as he gradually lacked air. I stared him in his eyes; the white in them already showed the red streaks caused by the effort to catch some air, but I looked beyond and saw his crimes… _No, he should not die so easily…_ I pondered and stopped, forgiving his life only to give him something worse. He fought furiously for air "Thank you…" He said with a ragged breath, believing he had been pardoned

"Oh no…you should not thank me at all…" I let him know and turned around to speak to the rest of men "You are nothing but filth that should be removed from this world. Nevertheless, I'm willing to forgive your last mistake as a proof of my kindness, which you don't deserve…" I told them with great contempt "You will be allowed to return to serve me in the mines. If you don't want to, you are welcome to join your partner" I pointed to the floor to the man that was still breathing with difficulty "Although I must warn you, it will not be a very wise choice" I took silence as an agreement "Just what I thought…" I muttered and continued speaking "You will spend the night here and tomorrow someone will come and get you…" I was not in the mood to take them back to the mines, that would only take me more time and I just wanted to get home to see _her_ , although probably she was already sleeping "I hope you are alive by then, there are too many hungry creatures roaming through woods at these hours…" And there I left them, properly immobilized. The one named Derek was not so lucky. I took him to the dark cells, and left him in the hands of the guard who was in charge of the dirtiest work, _Piscatella_ "Do what you have to do with him" It was all there was to say, he knew what to do…

At last, that disastrous day seemed to come to an end. Although my greatest desire was to see her, I forced myself to go tell Nicky that I had captured the men, but first, I cleaned up a bit so that she would not notice the dried blood on my head and clothes; that only would make her suspect that something had gone wrong. Once with her, I indicated her where the men were, so that she could go the next day with some guards to take them…

"Are you sure you are alright?" Obviously she thought something had gone wrong. It was not usual for me to take so long with such tasks

"Yes…I'm perfectly fine…" She kept a skeptical look "To be honest, I found it difficult to get their trace…I guess I was just a little _unfocused_ " I said truthfully, only hiding the fact that they had attacked me because I was feeling quite weakened

"Thinking about her uh?" She probed teasingly

"Yes…" I admitted "And if you'll excuse me…I really want to see her"

"She is in her room…she was really worried about you even though I told her she did not have to…" She let me know "Finally she listened to me and went to sleep"

"I'll try not to wake her then" I was about to leave but she stopped me

"Alex...wait" I looked at her expectantly "I know it's probably not my place to tell you so…" She was quite hesitant, not a very common feature of her "But maybe…I should _suggest_ …" She stopped talking and continued after some seconds "I think…you should…" She bumbled looking for words

"What is it?" I demanded to know losing my patience; I was really short of it that day

"You should talk to Piper about… _sex"_ She finally said suppressing a smile "She's been asking questions…" She explained further maybe because of my wary face

"Asking questions?" I retorted

"She's… _curious_ about…certain things…and I really think you should be the one who… _satisfies_ her curiosity" Now she did not even bother to hold her laugh

"What did you tell her?" I asked cautiously

"Nothing I swear!" She got serious in a second "I told her she should ask you…but I think she's a little embarrassed to do it"

"Alright...goodnight" I said surly and left abruptly. It was not Nicky's fault but I could not help feeling a pang of resentment. Why would Piper preferred to ask Nicky instead of me? Was it that she did not trust me? I could not blame her, It was my fault after all; from the beginning Nicky did not mistreat her as I had…I would never forgive myself for that. In her room, I saw the light seeping through the crack of the door, slightly ajar. I opened it slowly and lingered at the entrance watching her, surprised to find her awakened. She was with her nightwear, sitting on the armchair in front of the fireplace and in her hands she held a crumpled piece of paper; her eyes were fixed so hard on it that she did not even notice my presence…

"Hey…" I said softly not to startle her. She turned her head to her right dropping the letter to the floor

"Alex…" Her face lit up immediately and she got up and ran the few steps that separated us to wrap my neck with her arms. I did not hesitate a second to catch her in my arms

"Woah!" I said laughing "I will have to go away more often" I joked but she did not laugh. She withdrew a little to look at me

"Are you alright?" She asked, her eyebrows raised with distress

"Of course I'm alright…I told you that you don't have to worry about me" I had to remind her

"I know but…I couldn't help it, it took you so long" She said lowering her eyes

"What were you doing? Why aren't you asleep?" I asked without thinking, but I did not like having found her reading that damn letter again

"Oh…I…" She looked back looking for the letter with her eyes…she slowly released my neck and turned around walking towards the fireplace bending over to pick up the letter. I watched her with curiosity hoping she would continue to speak "I couldn't sleep…then I was resolute to throw the letter into the fire…" She snorted lightly without diverting her eyes from the letter "…but I have not been able to do it" she recognized with a voice tinted with sadness. I walked towards her and stood right in front of her

"Why?" I wanted to know. She diverted her eyes from the letter to see me

"Because…as absurd as it may seem…" She began "This piece of paper with hurtful words it's all I have left from my family…and I find it difficult to get rid of it" Yes, it was absurd, but in some way, I understood her point "You are probably thinking that I'm the stupidest person in the world" She lowered her sight

"That's not what I'm thinking at all…they hurt you but you are not ready to let them go from your heart…it's not stupid, it's normal" I told her tenderly catching a loose strand of her hair and she returned her blue eyes to me "We all tend to cling to things that hurt us…" _Speaking of which_ "…and sometimes it's really hard to let go" I thought about letting her go; in spite of knowing that she would be my downfall, my life without her was inconceivable, at least what I had left of _life_

"You sound like you know pretty well what you are talking about…" She said after discerning my words

"I do…" I smiled at her, tugging the lock of hair behind her ear

"How is it that you always seem to have the right words to make me feel better?" It made me happy that she had found comfort with my words

"That's because I'm the wisest creature in the world" I told her with grand significance making her laugh blissfully, which had been my purpose

"Not the humblest as I see" She pointed out giving me a playful push on my shoulder

"It was _impossible_ to fulfill all the good qualities…" I continued teasingly. I was dumbfounded by the look of affection that radiated from her eyes at that moment

"I missed you today" She said very softly with a warmly smile, and I could see her whole body leaning towards me, her cheeks filling increasingly with heat…she had left me speechless but I forced myself to say something back before she took my silence mistakenly

"I missed you too" It was the first time I said those words. I got closer and circled her slender waist with my hands. She was pleased with my reply, and with my closeness "Do you want to see a magic trick?" She frowned suspiciously and I reached for the hand that was still holding the letter which I took away and made it disappear right under her sight

"How did you…" She took my hands and looked at them bewildered

"My _boring_ magic…" I said mordantly "And don't worry, I did not destroy it…" I was not going to make that decision for her "I'll just keep it out of your reach, unless you ask me to give it back to you" I only intended to help her to keep her from torturing herself by reading those words over and over again, a gesture that she seemed to appreciate enormously. Without words she hugged me vastly. I took her swiftly in my arms cradling her, and let us fall into the armchair causing her to giggle with the sudden movement

"Thank you…" She said grinning

"Why?"

"For making me feel better" Her happy smile was all I needed in return. She hugged me tightly, nesting her head on my shoulder and her hands caressing wonderfully the hair on the back of my neck. We stayed like that for a while, watching the fire. None of us willing to disrupt the peaceful moment. Little by little, I could feel the movement of her fingers between my hairs beginning to falter; I knew she was falling asleep as it was actually quite late. I stroked her hair and whispered into her ear…

"Let's go to bed" I took her to my room and lay her on bed… "Have sweet dreams…" I told her without getting into bed with her

"Aren't you coming with me?" She asked

"I think I need to take these clothes off…and maybe a bath" I would have to bring some water for my bath, but I needed one after that day "I'll be right back with you…"

"Alright" She smiled half asleep

When I returned to bed after cleaning myself, she was already far beyond unconsciousness; I carefully lay down beside her and for another night I had to resign myself to wait until dawn. I did not care what happened the next day, the world could fall apart; I had no intention of leaving her side, not even the bed if she let me. I desperately needed her, and more importantly, I needed to discover how far she could undermine my strength…


	29. Chapter 29

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Guys...I'm really sorry for the delay. These last weeks have been exhausting and my mind has been too slow to write. I really hope for this stressful phase at work to be over soon. I had not written before because I sincerely hate to write to you if it is not to give you good news. This chapter has cost me too much time to write and I'm not really happy with the result and the quality of it, but it is the best I could do with my slow mind XD. I'm so tired right now, that I'll leave the chapter and go to sleep. Tomorrow I will write you in the comments section. I have read all the comments but right now I don't have the energy to go one by one hehehe. Thank you so much for your patience and your support! Love you all! PD: This week, I will do my best not to make you wait so long for the next chapter! ;)

 **CHAPTER XXIX (Piper's POV)**

I thought I was still trapped in a sweat dream when I distinguished the cold of her lips running along the arch of my neck until I heard her voice really close to my ear…

"We got up early today…" She said

"What?" I was still halfway between dreams and reality, but when I opened my eyes I knew that the face just inches away from mine could not be a product of my imagination. _What a gratifying way to wake up_ , I thought. She was all over me, pressing her body lightly against my front, holding her weight with her arms…

"Good morning" She smirked at me humorously. Then I remembered the night before

"I fell asleep…" I complained furrowing my eyebrows. It was my intention to stay awake and share more time with her, after spending the whole day without seeing each other, but at some point sleep won me over

"Yes…I already noticed" She chuckled a little and trapped my lips divinely with her mouth; the force of the action took me by surprise. Honestly, I could not complain, I just thought it was a strong way to start the day. My heart already seemed to be about to come out of my mouth, and that could not be healthy at those early hours. Very close to losing my breath, she broke the kiss giving me respite "Did you sleep well?" She asked smiling knowingly

"I…did" I responded cagily, short of breath. I had spent the night dreaming about her and _certain_ compromising situations. Her tone revived my suspicions regarding her being able to know about my dreams and thoughts, and even though there were some barriers already more than overcome between us, the mere idea that she was capable of knowing what was going through my mind, turned out to be immensely embarrassing.

"I'm glad to hear that" A cocky smile was tugging from the corner of her mouth and I looked deeply into her eyes trying to discern whether to confront her about it. She was aware of my intense glare because after some seconds she asked slightly puzzled "Is there…something wrong?"

"I don't know…you tell me" I retorted warily; my words took her aback… _You are reading my mind right now, don't you?_

"What?...Are you alright?" She asked, looking genuinely bewildered

"So…you can't?" I asked intriguing

"I can't what?" _Reading my mind!_ I shouted in my mind intensifying my gaze on her "You are freaking me out right now…did you hit your head or something?" She began probing my head with her fingers looking for the source of my delusions…

"No…" I assured her but she continued looking for something wrong in my head "There's nothing wrong with my head" I said laughing feeling suddenly quite stupid with the whole situation. She turned her gaze upon me

"Then what is it?" She was urged to know

"It's nothing, just a silly thing…" I considered telling her to appease her worried face "I…I was under the impression that…you could…somehow… _read my mind?_ " I lowered my voice at the end and fixed my eyes to the space between our chests, unable to look at her realizing only then how absurd that sounded. She was silent for some seconds, but then the whole bed began to shake vigorously. I looked up again and I could see she was fighting really hard to hold back her laughter "I should not have told you…I knew you'd laugh" I said slightly aggravated

"I'm sorry…" She apologized beforehand, unable to hold back a second more. She burst out of laughter rolling to one side, not able to stop. I was extremely angry that she was making fun of me, on the other hand, I found myself truly enjoying her laughs; I had never seen her so buoyant and outgoing…

"Let me know when you stop laughing at me" I tried to say sternly, but I could not keep my own cheeks from rising, so I turned away from her to show her my real annoyance…

"I'm sorry…I'm really sorry…I just…" She forced me to turn again on my back and settled on me with her face hovering over me "Where did you get that idea from?" She had stopped laughing, but was still smiling jokingly

"Forget it…I won't tell you…" I said stubbornly, hoping that she would take me seriously…although that only seemed to amuse her even more…

"You won't tell me, uh?" She uttered daringly "Are you mad at me?" I nodded with a serious face, making her smile even bigger. With great speediness, she fastened my wrists firmly with her fingers and placed my hands above my head, and then held them together with one of hers, leaving her other hand completely free… "You are not _ticklish_ , are you?" She waggled her fingers playfully in the air…

"You wouldn't dare…" I widened my eyes and warned her strictly, trying to shake off her grip on my wrists in vain "No Alex, don't" I got anxious seeing her fingers getting closer to my ribs

"Don't be mad at me and I promise I'll stop…" She offered with a negotiation demeanor

"That's extortion!" I complained

"You asked for it…" I felt her fingers digging into my ribs, even above the sheets and my nightgown, I couldn't stand it

"Alright alright…I'm not mad at you!" I screamed, making her smile triumphantly

"And answer my question… Where did you get that idea from?" How much I hated that she always got what she wanted

"I'll tell you if you promise not to laugh any more…" I agreed defeated

"I don't think you are in the position to demand anything…" She said tightening the grip of her fingers around my wrists "However…I'm a reasonable creature…I'll be good" She promised and I smiled like an idiot delighted by her shining eyes. She let go of my wrists and waited for me to speak, with the hint of a tender smile; I knew she wouldn't laugh at me anymore…I thought a little about how to explain her about it before answering her question

"Sometimes, when you look at me…I would swear you can see inside my mind since…you always seem to know what I'm thinking of, or… _dreaming of_ " She released a heavy sigh of resignation…

"I wish I could" She said with sad cadence "I would give anything to know what's going on inside your mind all the time"

"So…if you cannot read my mind…how do you know about…my _dreams_?" She kept messing with me, telling me to _have sweet dreams_ with ulterior motives…she had to know

"That's easy…you _ammm_ …" Again, I saw her fighting to keep a straight face "…tend to talk in your dreams" _WHAT!?_ Horror took over me…I felt my face burning with unlimited disgrace. I remembered my dreams and I did not even want to imagine the things that came out of my mouth while unconscious, and she had been listening to me! "Mostly, you just say my name…" She said offhandedly and I did not know where to bury my face or where to look "Are you embarrassed by your dreams?" _Embarrassed_ was an understatement "You shouldn't…I find it absolutely lovely that you dream of me…" She caressed my hot cheek with the back of her hand "If I could sleep surely you would be in each one of my dreams, I mean…you are already in each one of my thoughts…" Those words tempted me to return my sight to her, utterly flattered by them

"I am?" I asked her barely whispering, forgetting immediately about my shame

"Even _now_ I'm thinking of you" I thought it was funny that she would think of me when there was no need to do it, since I was there with her

"And what are you thinking?" I was curious to know

"Do you really want to know?" Her voice became deep suddenly, making me shudder. I nodded intrigued by her gravity. She leaned into me to lay her lips on my ear shell, as if she were about to tell me a secret that only I was allowed to hear "I'm thinking how much I would like to go down on you _right now_ " I did not understand her words, and yet my heart quickened, perhaps warning me that by the way she had said it, it could only be a devilry thing

"Go down on me?" I asked uncertain…

"To kiss you…from _here_ " She traced the edge of my lips with the tip of her index and middle fingers and started to descend very slowly down my neck "All the way down…" After tracing the way through my chest, I felt her hand sliding under the sheets while she pressed her motionless lips lightly on mine to whisper against them "To _here_ " Her hand stopped wrapping my intimacy, giving it a light squeeze to emphasize her intentions. Hundreds of butterflies fluttered in my stomach with the prospect. I could not resist the closeness of her lips, which lured me to feel them against my own, falling miserably into her trap. My hands instinctively went to wrap her neck to draw her towards me, to bump into her lips, while she slipped her hand from my burning center under my nightgown. Without preambles, our tongues greeted each other with the same impatience with which I felt her fingers already struggling to untie the front laces of my corset. With the need to catch my breath, I turned my face a little to one side, parting my lips away from hers, although she continued to savor my neck

"Wait…" I breathed out "What are you doing?" I asked since she did not stop

"What do you think I am doing?" She muttered roughly against my burning skin, pulling the cords of my undergarment with fierceness

"Alex…wait!" I forced her to stop placing both hands against her chest. She sensed my reticence and leaned back to observe me…

"What is it?" She softly asked with concern stopping all her movements

"Aren't… _those things…_ supposed to be done at night?" She raised her perfect eyebrows amusingly

"Those things?" She repeated, to what I just nodded. She staggered me with her ample teeth in a wide smile "You make it sound as if _those things_ were _horrid_ for you…" I sensed her fingers resuming their quest, pulling ever so slowly from the remaining corset's ties "Which I know it's not true…" She said wickedly with her hand already prowling under the unfastened garment "Does this feel unpleasant for you?" I could only shake my head in denial, while trying to keep my breathing steady, recognizing that _those things_ were not at all unwanted for me "Let me tell you something about _those things_ …" She caressed my chest with feathery touches leaving traces of fire and ice on my skin "There is no established time for _them_ …it's like, when you feel hunger, you simply eat, or when you are thirsty, you simply quench your thirst…" She began pulling up the bottom edge of my nightgown, to strip me of it in a swift motion, promoted by my enthusiasm in helping her to carry out the task. The cold morning already embraced the expanse of my naked torso "One day is all I can stand without having you…I can't wait for night to come…" She firmly pronounced, before initiating the course previously traversed by her fingers to show me the way _down_ , with her mouth.

Our lips again met each other, always with the same urgency…I could never get used to the feel of her fleshy lips on mine, every time was like the first time I tried them; new and exciting. Her tongue traced refreshingly the edges of my lips before flooding my mouth with the most delectable senses. There was something in the way it moved inside me that made me blistered with heat…her movements had never been so deliberate, and for some reason I found it embarrassing. I was having a hard time staying sane and the sounds emanating from her did not help to keep my grounds.

My hands, still pressed against her chest, clung tightly to the rims of her black silk gown, drawing her inescapably closer to me, while my mouth relished everything she offered me. I imagined her naked body and thought that her robe stood inconveniently between our skins. Moved by my most basic desires, those that only she could arise in me, those allowed only when I stopped thinking about everything I had been taught, I opened the front of her garment, sliding the silky fabric down her shoulders, an action that made her growl irately "Take it off" She commanded hazardously, to which I proceeded to fulfill intrepidly with her help, until our fronts were properly merged, cold against heat "You feel so good…" She said more calmly, as if my closeness had soothed her. I wrapped her torso with my arms, placing my hands on her upper back. She smiled delighted by my touch and continued to kiss me with immense assiduousness, slowing down with time, until the more than elaborated kiss became a display of soft pecks and sweet little bites, allowing me to catch my breath. She began to turn her attention to my neck, kissing along the curve under my chin. I provided her better access, raising my face to look at the ceiling of the bed, although I opted to close my eyes, focusing my attention on my other senses.

She traveled along my collarbones, nibbling and licking every inch of their length, murmuring sounds of pleasure as if enjoying me. My breasts were beginning to bristle, looking forward to their turn of being taken care of by her. She seemed to understand my requirements because without further preludes, she appeased my anxiety by taking in her mouth a generous bite of my left breast, making me gasp madly, but never from pain. I opened my eyes and dared to look down at my chest. Her eyes were fixed on me in a predatory way, a treacherous beam surfacing on her lips that made my heart skip a beat. Although the sun was constantly hidden by the clouds, the light of the day was more than enough inside the room; I could scrutinize her black eyes like onyx stones in more detail. Her sight was intimidating and something about it was chilling, yet, I did not seem to be afraid. Without diverting her darkened gaze from me, her mouth began performing all sorts of games with my teat…I observed mesmerized the variety of tricks she knew to drive me crazy. She took turns from one breast to the other, changing the rhythm of her gentle licks, nibbling, biting, sucking, kissing and… _talking_ "You have…no idea…of how much…I enjoy… _these"_ Another soft bite on my right breast and the air around us began to turn sultry and I felt close to suffocation…

"Alex…" I whined. Her name came out of my mouth inadvertently, like a claim

"Shhhhh…" The wintry air of her breath was a relief to my heat "I will not make you wait too long…" With that, she began to descend down my abdomen, covering me with the cold moisture left by her lips and tongue. I watched her disappear under the sheets making me feel a little desolated, afflicted by her apparent absence. She began kissing my lower belly, just above the edge of my undergarments and ever so slowly, she hooked her fingers under its edges to start stripping me off them. I felt her breath bathing the heated region flanked by my legs, while descending with her hands rolling my breeches down, until getting stuck over my ankles. I waved my extremities from side to side with certain frustration to finish freeing myself, which caused her some fun; I could hear her soft chuckle under the sheets. Once that my breeches were totally taken off, her fingers curled around my ankles into an inexorable grasp and forced my legs to bend by the knees. I saw her figure under the sheets lowering, leaning into me. Her strands of hair caused a tingling sensation inside my thighs while she was engaged in breathing every inch of them, roaming me with her lips and nose while caressing my calves with the light touches of her fingers. Her breathing was deep and sharp, cooling the air beneath the covers. She settled between my spread limbs approaching her face towards my exposed core, only the action made my heart beat frantically, more if that was possible at that point. She secured my hips with her arms, sliding them under my legs and clinging tightly around the top of my legs…that's when I felt her tongue running along the breadth of my most reserved being, I would swear I had not experienced anything as pleasant as that sensation. My whole body shuddered with unrestrained craving exhaling all the air contained in my lungs in a long moan; I wanted to feel her _everywhere_ , but at the same time, only _there_. My hands got under the sheets looking to touch her, and I buried my fingers in the blackness of her hair, seizing her for comfort.

She repeated the action several times, her tongue a little more reserved, but dazzling me with the same intensity. She was humming deeply thrilling my insides; without thinking, I draw her face closer with my hands, gently pulling from her hair. That seemed to encourage her to initiate a series of more impulsive movements with her mouth, and although I could not figure out what she was doing, I could only imagine her kissing me in there as she had kissed me a few minutes ago, since I was sure that what I perceived was her tongue stirring insightfully in me, just as she had done with my mouth; I was whimpering with bliss. My hips joined involuntarily the steady tempo of her thrust. Her right hand slowly began crawling up my belly, peeing shyly from beneath the sheets to finally pose with great care on my left breast. She gradually increased her movements, pushing me closer and closer to the edge, kneading my breast with great profusion; I was on the verge of breaking up when she stopped abruptly…

"Not yet Pipes…not yet…" I barely heard her say above my ragged panting. She gave me no time to miss her contact because she immediately rested her lips on me again, a little higher, at that point which seemed to be the origin of all my sensations. She kissed me ever so measured making me feel somewhat frustrated as I wanted her to go faster. Her new pace, as enjoyable as it was, it exasperated me and made me release a grunt of annoyance which caused her to chuckle raspy… "We are going to have to learn to be a little more patient…" She said out loud through the sheets and assumed an even slower pace than the previous one almost inflicting me pain of despair.

The hand on my chest slid back down and her fingers joined her mouth in a torturous game. Her lips sucking lightly and her tongue teasingly brushing the closest point to the apex of my mound while her fingers lingered a little lower, performing tentative movements at the entrance of the place she had intruded the last time. For a moment I remembered the slight pain and the blood, wondering with dread if that embarrassing episode with the stained sheets would happen again, but she gave me no time to worry about my concerns, as I could already feel her pushing into me…if I thought that the first time and the second time had been mind blowing, the new sensation was out of this world, it went further and wider…she began the memorable thrusting of her hand, gently but relentlessly, filling me with her fingers while her lips fused tenaciously above my entrance, sucking the region with great gusto. To my relief, her movements began to grow more and more demanding and I could only wish she did not stop again, that she did not stop ever…

There was a moment when I was unable to form a single thought; I could not even have been capable to utter a word with coherence, even if my life would have depended on it. My sounds were the only thing I was able to acknowledge above _her_ attentions _;_ choked gasps and whimpers and mumblings came out of my mouth with inconsistency, putting together an awkward cacophony. Unable to stop them for own will, my hands untangled from her hair to resurface to the air of the room…I reached for a pillow to cover my face trying to silence the incessant noises that increased severely with her ebullience. Each one of her actions became more and more vigorous and that delicious sensation, for which I had no name, began to set within me cutting my breath, encompassing my whole being. I felt perilously close to losing consciousness; maybe I was short of breath for pressing the pillow so hard on my face or maybe, my mind was simply not able to withstand those maddening sensations; at some point, I truly feared for my heart and mental health. In a second that became immeasurable, I reached the utmost sensitivity; my whole body seemed to crumble with the violent tremors that shook me from within; I bit the pillow while the wave of jolts assaulted me incessantly as her lips and fingers kept demanding more from me… after a while, I felt myself descending from the highest, almost floating surrounded by a billow of elation. She accompanied me in the fall, holding my hips with gentle firmness while tracing my overly sensitive interior with her velvety tongue. When I had released the last quaver, she planted one last broad kiss in there, and began nuzzling her way up back to me, placing kisses here and there in the wide expanse of my abdomen, as if reverencing my body. My hands were stiff, still clinging to the pillow against my face. When her lips where already at my chest's height, she was the one who pulled the pillow away from me and only then I realized how much air I needed…I took all the air my lungs could hold and began to catch my breath. She was watching me from above, with an amused face…

"Are you alright?" I nodded while still panting a little "That was…pretty intense…" _Intense_ was not close enough. Unable to pronounce words, I showed her my affection by bringing her closer to me holding her head with both hands. I caught her lower lip unreservedly and we inevitably merged again into a forceful kiss where I uttered everything I felt for her at that precise moment, without words. In a sudden movement that made me release a silly laugh, she turned us around until I was the one on top, laying all my weight on her as she held me tightly in her arms, both wrapped between the sheets. The new position gave me a new perspective on her beauty. I watched her stunned for a few seconds, but I had to lean down to continue kissing her. A strange flavor lingered on her lips, and I could not help to let her know in the middle of the kiss

"Your lips taste weird…" I licked my own lips, as the taste seemed to have transferred to them…

"Weird? Weird how?" She asked with fun

" _Salty_ …" I said after looking for a proper word making her laugh softly

"They taste like you…" She said tenderly removing some strands of hair that fell on my eyes. I did not understand her; she kept making comments about things that were unknown to me. She noticed my befuddled gesture and continued speaking to me while caressing my loose hair "You know…if there is something you want to know about… _those things…_ you could just…ask me…" She said tentatively. Her offer was promising; there were a thousand things I wanted to know…

"I know…" I told her because I knew I could tell her anything, but I did not see myself bold enough to talk about _those things_ with her

"So, there's _nothing_ you want to know about?"

"No…not really" I lied miserably, and probably my blushing gave me away because she was squinting her eyes dissecting me. Suddenly she changed her gestures showing a slightly distressed appearance

"So…" She lowered her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows "Why have you been talking to Nicky about _those things_ instead of me?" _Aaaaaarghhh Nicky!_ I could not believe Nicky had told her about our conversation…my cheeks burned to be exposed that way

"She told you…" I whispered with dread

"For future references, you should know that Nicky has a loose mouth…a very big loose mouth" She lightly joked looking again into my eyes but that did not help to quench my shame; I had to look away "You don't trust me…is that it?" She barely said after a moment of silence. Those words were loaded with sorrow, and it infuriated me that she thought precisely _that,_ after having giving myself to her irrevocably, but I could understand why my words had made her think that I did not trust her, and I hated myself for it…

"No…it is not that I don't trust you…" I clarified fixing my gaze deeply on her, but my words did not seem to reach her "I trust you…but Nicky is my friend…" I told her tenderly…

"Then, you don't consider me a friend…" And then I realized that in fact, she was not…

"You are not my friend Alex…you are very far from being a friend to me" I said with great significance and she took my words in the wrong way. She lowered her eyes to mutter a silent…

"I see…" Her pain was almost tangible, so I proceeded immediately to clarify my poor choice of words, cupping her left cheek with my right hand

"You are much more to me..." I stroked her smooth skin above the cheekbone with my thumb. She raised her sight again waiting for a more developed explanation "I definitely don't feel for friends what I feel for you" The clear green of her eyes shone as I had never seen them shine; she had understood my previous words. She lifted her torso unexpectedly to adopt a sitting position, causing in me a gasp of surprise. Her hands hooked my legs from behind my knees, making me wrap her hips with them; I almost lost my balance with the sudden change of position, so I had to cling to her neck while drowning my laughter against her shoulder while the sheets slipped down our bodies

"What is it then…" I heard her say in my ear and draw away from me to assess my face "What you feel for me…" She asked with seriousness, although a playful attitude was noticeable in her slight smile.

"It's…kind of hard to put it into words" Her arms surrounded my waist firmly while I talked

"Give it a try…" I saw deeply into her eyes thinking how I could express what she made me feel with simple words…

"It's as if…my heart wouldn't fit in my chest" I began quietly and she listened attentively to everything I had to say "When you are near me, when you touch me or see me, even when you are not around…just thinking about you is enough to make my heart beat uncontrollably" She was absorbed by my words; the intensity of her gaze forced me to look down to finish expressing my thoughts "Sometimes I think that one day I will not be able to bear it and it will just… _explode_ …" I exhaled something between a deep sigh and a snort…

"I don't think I deserve such a thing…" Her cold tone took me aback. I was positive that my words would only help to feed the ego of the arrogant being I knew she was, so I expected from her some comment charged with complacency; maybe it had been a mistake to tell her all those things, I feared…I searched for her eyes, but I could only find tenderness in them "Your heart is too kind for me…" She changed completely the manner of her voice, and I could only wonder what did she mean by that; did she seriously think that she did not deserve me? I was about to confront her but she got ahead of me, taking away my opportunity to speak "Aren't you starving? I think we missed breakfast time already" The change of subject warned me that maybe she wanted to talk about something else…

"Yes, I'm actually famished…now that you mention it" I decided to drop the subject and agreed that breakfast was not a bad idea at all

"Alright…" She gave me a small peck on the lips and dropped me backwards, repositioning herself again on top of me very quickly

"You are definitely going to make my heart explode one of these days…" I reprimanded her short of breath, to which she simply laughed

"I'll go and get us something for breakfast…" She offered herself, and proceeded to disentangle herself from the firm hold of my legs around her hips to get out of bed, not without giving me another quick kiss before putting on her nightgown and leaving, assuring me that she would be back soon.

I sat on and searched hurriedly for the remains of my clothes scattered all over the bed. I ran to the bathroom with my garments in my hands to get dressed in there and to meet my body's needs…I hurried in case she arrived earlier than expected. When I finished my purposes, I stopped a moment to assess my state in the mirror, and I was slightly horrified by my appearance…I arranged my hair the best I could, combing it with my fingers, and washed my face with the chilly water in the sink. Before leaving the bathroom, my eyes fell on the black attires piled up next to the bathtub, _her clothes…_ I picked them up off the floor and held them in the air to shake the dirt out of them, and then, I assessed them closely to discern whether they needed to be washed. Her pants definitely needed so, as they had large spots of mud on the knees. Her long-sleeved shirt also seemed to need a wash, and looking at it from close, maybe some amendments. I held it in the air and watch it against the light that filtered through the bathroom's window pane and noticed a generous hole in the center that pierced the back and chest of it. I inserted my fingers through the hole wondering what might have caused that tear of her clothes, and I perceived the rim of the fabrics a little stiff, plastered with something dark and dry… _Blood…_ is the only thing that came to mind. I assessed then the leather cuirass that she used to wear tightly over her shirt, and the leather presented the same punctures, surrounded by a darker stain that could only be blood. I was horrified; evidently, she had been injured…How had I not notice when I took off her nightgown?

"Piper…?" Her voice startled me, as I was too absorbed assessing her clothes. I turned around caught off guard, with the fabrics tightly held against my chest

"You scared me…" I told her with an accusatory tone

"I'm sorry…" She smiled but she seemed suspicious by my attitude "What are you doing?" Her eyes were fixed on the bundle of clothes in my hands

"I was…collecting your clothes and…" I began telling her and I could not help asking her straightforwardly "Is this blood?" I said as I held out my arms to show her the clothes

"Yes…it is…" She recognized with great serenity. I went immediately to her, dropping her clothes to the floor. I opened the front of her gown looking for wounds; there was nothing besides the strange mark on her chest "It's already healed…" She chuckled lightly taking my face with her hands

"What happened?" I asked her with real worry

"Nothing happened…" She assured me smiling wider

"But…your clothes…they are completely pierced"

"I am immortal…remember?" I remembered the time that Larry had pierced her body with his sword. That memory was so distant that I had completely erased it from my mind. Indeed, _nothing_ could hurt her; _nobody_ could hurt her. I relaxed a little with the thought "Besides, I already told you, no man poses a threat to me…" Yes, I had already witnessed with my own eyes what she was capable of…and then, I thought of the men who had tried to escape

"What happened with them?" I asked. Even though they were criminals, I was terrified to think of her doing to eleven men the same things she had done to the men in the woods the day I had tried to escape…

"With whom?" She did not understand who I was referring to

"With the men who escaped…"

"Why would you care about what happened to those men?" She retorted clearly annoyed, dropping her hands from my face

"No reason, I'm just _curious_ …" I tried to sound casual

"If you want to know…I sent them back to where they belong…the mines" She ended up saying, with a cold tone. Maybe she regretted being so harsh with me because again she reached for my face, to hold it with both hands and with gentleness she told me "I don't like to talk about those men with you…alright?" I nodded, placing my hands above hers. She leaned over me, to press her cold lips on my forehead "Breakfast is going to get cold…" She let me know and guided me to the table holding my right hand. We started breakfast exchanging little phrases, but there was something that got stuck in my mind…

"So…in theory, you can resist any injury…" Without words, she watched me with amused eyes and extended her left hand on the table, with the palm up. She took a sharp knife and before I had time to process what she was going to do, she stuck the tip of the blade in the center of her palm. I gasped in consternation and I wanted to keep her from getting hurt, but it was too late. A small gash, from which flowed thick blood so dark that it was almost black, was already opened…

"Watch…" She told me; I took her hand with mine, drawing it towards me…in a matter of seconds, the wound gradually closed, it had healed almost instantly. Only a trace of blood remained on her palm; I wiped it with a tablecloth and it seemed as if nothing had ever damaged her skin…I breathed out astonished "See…? I heal quite fast" My eyes wandered from her face to her palm several times thinking about something…

"But…what about that time I caught your fingers with the door?" I remembered with anguish how bad I had felt for hurting her. She did not heal very fast then. I looked at her expectantly, waiting for an answer. She smiled in a mischievous way…

"I _may_ have exaggerated the pain a bit" She gave me an apologetic look, even so, she did nothing to hide her pleased smile

"You lied to me?" I replied slightly upset

"No, I did not _lie_ I just…went overboard?" Then she stopped smiling sensing my sudden anger "I really needed to find a way to talk to you…" She excused herself and I realized that it seemed impossible to be angry with her for too long…

"Just so you know…" I tried to sound really aggravated "You made me feel miserably guilty…" I admonished her

"And just so you know…" She lowered her voice to adopt a serious tone "I'm not sorry at all…" Despite her seriousness, I knew by the glitter in her eyes that she was just messing with me "Because then I realized that you worried about me, and that made me immensely happy…" A conceited smile was drawn on her face while she took to her mouth a piece of melon with the fork, looking at me without showing any hint of remorse for her actions

"Don't look so brash…you will pay for it…" I warned her, although she did not take my threat seriously. We continued our breakfast placidly… "What are your plans for today?" I asked somewhat undecided once we were over with breakfast; I did not want to assume that she was going to spend the day with me…

"My plans for today only include you…" She got up from the table and stood by my side, holding out her right hand to me. I got up and she wrapped her left arm around my waist, dragging me ever so close to her

"Don't you have other duties to fulfill…?"

"To hell with that…I do not intend to leave this room today…" Her raspy voice and her gaze made my insides constrict and my mouth go dry…I could only think about what she intended to do all day in the room with me…

"Even though you may not dare to ask me questions about _those things_ …I still have every intention to teach you everything you want to know" And she had succeeded again in turning my heart completely nuts. She carried me easily to the bed on her arms, letting me fall unceremoniously, imprisoning me in an instant with her arms and all her being against the mattress. I could only ask to myself…how many times we could do _that a_ nd if my heart would be able to stand it once more…


	30. Chapter 30

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello beautiful people! Here it is a new chapter! Yeeeiiih! As always, thank you so much for your support, patience and comments. The chapter is really light, like I said, I will let them enjoy a little more of this light atmosphere before more problems and drama take place in the story...(Don't even think that everything is going to go great from now on) But don't worry about it...and ENJOY! LOVE YOU! 

**CHAPTER XXX (Alex's POV)**

I took her to bed without further delay; despite being afraid of unleashing the horrible sensation she provoked in me, the prospect of possessing her over and over again was too tempting. Earlier, when she had come in my mouth, the feeling of failing and ache had been somewhat cushioned and much more bearable than the previous times, which made me think that definitely the death of that man had made me regain the strength that she seemed to drain out of me, the question was… _for how long?_...I discarded those thoughts immediately focusing all my attention on the beautiful incentive that laid under me.

I pinned her down against the bed curling my fingers around her fragile wrists on both sides of her head. She was staring at me with daring eyes; the brilliance in them encouraged me to set my left thigh firmly on her warm center, forcing her legs apart and making her gasp shortly. Although she did not dare to say certain things to me with words, I did not need them to read her and understand her desires since her body did not seem so abided by her moral decency. Perhaps deliberately or perhaps in a completely involuntary act, she began grinding her core ever so slightly against my thigh, lifting her hips to find more contact with me, driving me crazy. But despite her audacity, her face always showed clear signs of bashfulness, with her cheeks permanently covered with the loveliest cherry tone. How could she be so provocatively forward and so timidly withdrawn at the same time? I pressed my leg more enthusiastically against her, lightning the heat on her face as she wheezed intensely; I smiled at how easy it was to stimulate her. I kissed her hot cheeks, planting my wet lips on her skin, trying to soothe their ardency…

"You are extraordinarily beautiful…" I told her with utmost devotion looking directly into the blue of her eyes slightly darkened by my stimulations "Did you know that?" She shook her head slightly in denial, reluctant to accept my compliment. I leaned toward her as if to kiss her; she was already parting her lips to welcome mine, but I change the direction of my lips in the last moment to pose them on her ear "Then I'll make sure to let you know as many times as necessary…" I whispered deeply intentionally, causing a shiver all over her body. I caught her earlobe between my lips speeding up her breathing. That seemed a pretty sensitive spot for her, so I decided to explore it. I sucked on her delicate fleshy lobe and gave it a little bite seizing it with my teeth. She released a heavenly whimper when I let it go after pulling lightly of it, to begin tracing the edge of her ear shell with the tip of my tongue. Her arms were fighting to free themselves from my firm grip around the wrists, but I did not loosen my fingers, just looking to mess with her, and why not accept it…I found it very exciting to have her completely at my mercy.

I nuzzled the region behind her ear, inhaling all of her in that area where her natural essence seemed to be more untainted. Although I had never experienced the effects of opiates, I could imagine a similar effect as the one that caused me her aroma; I felt it invading every space within me, filling my lungs with life at the same time that made me feel completely dazed and numbed. I wanted to breathe her as if she could provide me with all the oxygen I had never breathed throughout my life. She became more and more restless, trying to disentangle herself with more force when I kissed the soft patch of skin behind her ear and began to descend down her neck, at my leisure, making her almost sob. Finally, I let go of her wrists and she let out a sound of relief that made me laugh as she caught my face between her hands hastily forcing me to face her to collide her lips with mine…

" _Mmmmmm_ …" I murmured into her avid mouth, letting her do whatever she wanted, until she had to drew her face away to catch her breath, panting deeply; I was thankful for not having the need to do so "We are going to have to work on improving your patience…" I told her amused by her more than evident eagerness; of course, my words embarrassed her "Don't get me wrong, I truly share your enthusiasm but…" I dropped my tone acutely "I want to show you everything you need to know…" I told her with my most seductive voice, which seemed to have an immediate effect on her since her pupils expanded absorbing the clear blue of its edges "And I need you to bear with me and do everything I tell you to do so…" I said rigorously "Do you trust me?" I asked her softening my tone…her fingers got lost in my hair, intertwined in the back of my head and she stared at me with impudence

"Profusely" She simply said with vast determination and the hint of a smile, stirring me to my core

Our eyes remained engaged to each other without breaking apart; without words, I slid my left hand to reach the lower edge of her nightgown to pull it up her body, in an act that seemed already too usual at that point. She disentangled her fingers from my hair to raise her hands above her head, making the job easier…once stripped of the first garment I could not help but laugh bitterly at the fact that I had to wrestle _again_ with the annoying corset. I was starting to feel real animosity over that damn piece of clothing… _Is it that she has to carry it all the fucking time?_ I thought aggravated

"You know…" I began to tell her calmly, as if instructing her while my resigned fingers began the laborious task that was to undo the arrangement of laces "In some cultures, the use of the corset is highly discouraged" Her face showed a glimpse of bewilderment; maybe she was taken by surprise with such unrelated subject in that moment, but I kept talking casually, as my fingers continued disentangling the cords very slowly, giving me time to list everything that was wrong about the use of the corset "In the most liberal civilizations, it is considered as a repressive item that seeks to alter the natural shape of women's bodies to achieve a false aesthetic ideal of the female figure…something I find completely abhorrent…" She was very attentive to my words "Also, these people claim that its use can even cause health problems…surely you will have experienced episodes of dizziness or suffocation, or even fainting…am I wrong?"

"No…I think you are right…" She said somehow suspicious

"Of course I'm right…" I retorted haughtily, pulling the last strings "It impedes your mobility, it makes your breathing difficult…" I undid the last tie and removed the remains away from her torso "…and as far as I'm concerned…" I said allowing myself to look away from her face and down on her for the first time in my long speech. I saw her perfect hard tips standing proudly on top of her mounds that caused havoc on my reason "You look much better without it…" I could not help to lean down to them, to seize them with my mouth, if only for an instant. I circled her nipples with my lips, a light kiss on each top and I forced myself to stop, remembering my initial purpose, so I turned my attention again to her. Her breathing had accelerated with the brief exchange "Answer me something…" I told her casually. I had a question in mind but I did not know how to deliver the issue to her, due to her inexperience "How well do you _know_ your body?"

"Know my body?" She repeated raising her eyebrows, trying to understand, still a little lightheaded "I guess pretty well…it's my body after all" And I guessed by her response that she had not understood the inner motive of my question. It was easy to assume that perhaps she had never explored her body _that_ way…still I thought it was a good starting point, to entice her into certain subjects…

"I was referring to whether, you've ever been _curious_ about your body or felt the need to _explore_ it…if maybe, sometime, you had given yourself… _pleasure_ " I had to continue talking as she seemed as clueless as before. I had to hold back a huge smile, which arose from the immeasurable fondness I felt for her at that moment, for her ingenuousness and spotless mind "Have you ever touched _yourself_ like _I_ have touched you… _down there_ …?" My words could not be more straightforward, and _then_ she understood…she frowned slightly and blinked repeatedly, stunned by what I had just said to her…

"I…I don't…I mean…isn't that…is that even…possible?" She stammered truly shocked. Needless to say, her face was red hot. I could not contain my smile anymore…

"Of course it's possible" I chuckled gently "So your answer is _no_ …"

"No…of course not…" She said with a high pitched voice charged with aggravation as if the simple thought were outrageous…

"Perfect…" I purred delighted. Although it was the answer I was expecting from her, her purity did not cease to amaze me. It was tremendously satisfying to know that I was the first one to make her feel those things, even above herself "Then I know what the first lesson will be… _let's get to know your body_ …" I said impishly and planted a broad kiss on her mouth which lasted no more than three seconds and retired from her to crawl towards the top of the large bed and to sit down leaning my back against the abundant pillows and cushions that adorned the head of the bed. She turned her head to one side to look at me with a puzzled expression "Come here…" I indicated her patting the mattress in the space between my legs, as a gesture to invite her to sit in there. She rose slowly but without hesitation, and moved leisurely towards me on her knees, a little clumsy as she was trying to cover a little her nudity with her arms. Before settling on the space I had told her, she looked into my eyes for confirmation, to which I raised my eyebrows suggestively. I separated my legs a little more, giving her more space while she settled in the middle of them. I felt her tense, as if she did not know what else to do, I grabbed her by the waist from behind and brought her closer to the center of my body and I invited her to lay her back on my front, placing my left hand right in the middle of her chest "Lay on me" I said on her ear and she obeyed my gentle command, perching her arms on my thighs that she used as armrests. I could feel her whole body shaking with nerves while I ran my fingers along her arms, from her shoulders to her hands, placed lightly on my knees

"Are you nervous?" I asked her in disbelief

"A little bit…" She admitted lovely. I slid my hands under hers to entwine our fingers lightly

"Try not to be…remember that I already know you pretty well…" I told her by her ear to reassure her and kissed her tenderly on her right shoulder, where I laid my chin, gaining a beautiful perspective of her whole body. Her long golden hair covered her breasts, but her prominent nipples peeked out inquisitively between the wavy strands with every intake of air. Never an image had been so provocative to me, making my mouth watered at the prospect of all the things I wanted to do to her and with her…for a moment I even regretted having chosen that position because from there, there was no way I could reach her breasts with my mouth "Have I already told you how beautiful you are?" I asked her, causing in her one of those melodious laughter that only she was able to produce

"Yes…you did" She said between giggles that were interrupted when I began to draw the arch that joined her shoulder to her neck with my parted lips, exhaling deeply my fresh air on her warm skin. She moaned heavily at the feeling and tilted her head to her left, exposing her neck to me and squeezing her hands, imprisoning our fingers that remained intertwined. The temperature of her body increased with the insistence of my lips, which planted kisses that grew gradually in expansion, inviting my tongue to join progressively in the heated game. I tried to remove the strands of hair that perched on her neck with my nose, but her hair was too plentiful. I had to force my fingers to free themselves from her firm grip until she let go of my left hand when realizing my intentions. With my free hand, I picked up the hair that fell over her right shoulder and her back, to gather it all on her other side, leaving her back devoid of the shelter that her hair offered. I buried my nose in her nape to kiss her tenderly in the back of her neck, a place so far unexplored by me, making her shiver deliciously, but in spite of that, her body in general felt more relaxed. I settled my chin back on her right shoulder and raised my right hand still firmly caught with hers towards us, to kiss her fingers…

"Are you ready?" I asked her gently "…to explore yourself?"

"If you guide me…" She barely said in a whisper, as if she did not want to be heard.

I released my right hand from her grip and turned her head to me by her chin to capture her lips. With our lips merged in a tender and deep kiss, my hands groped for hers holding them by their back side, letting her palms and fingers free so that she could feel her own body. I cupped her tits with her hands and made a motion to encourage her to knead her mounds; after some attempts her hands started to move on their own will, although diffidently. She parted her lips and I swallowed her sharp and frequent gasps, as we began breathing into each other's mouths. Her whole body burned me pleasantly, especially on my front, fused to her back. I let go of her hands for a moment to get rid of the silk robe I wore hastily, desperate to feel the direct contact of her skin. I growled when I sensed my naked core against her lower back and became aware of the growing tension within me. Until then, I had only focused on her and I had tried to hinder my own needs, but her proximity to that specific area of my body was something that could not be ignored. She also seemed keen to enjoy my closeness, since I felt her leaning against me with more fervor, pressing her back lusciously against my breasts. I noticed her motionless hands still covering her mounds, so I went immediately to assist her. As soon as I placed my hands over hers again, she resumed the gentle massage, as if she needed my support to do so. I cheered her to accelerate the rhythm and to touch herself with more force…I replaced her left hand with mine, to stimulate her senses by performing some ministrations with her tit…

"Do this…" I told her, so she would copy the movements with the bosom that was still under her control. I circled her hard nipple with the pad of my middle finger and watched as her right hand performed the same actions; after flicking it and teasing it for some time, ever so gently I pinched the sensitive tip with my thumb and middle finger, squeezing it with great care increasing the pressure of the nip according to her ragged breathing. She arched her back, raising her chest when I began pulling ever so softly from it…the movements of her own hand seemed more enthusiastic than mine "You are a fast learner" I said with a hint of surprise; she turned her face again to look for my lips and I fulfilled her request. She received me with her mouth open, inviting me in. Each one of our kisses were always different, still, our tongues entangled in a coordinated dance, as if we had rehearsed it over and over again. She was perfect; undoubtedly, she could only be a consequence of destiny, even to ruin me, because otherwise, I could not be so lucky to bump into that immaculate human being purely by chance…I definitely did not deserve such privilege.

"Take off your breeches…" I roared deeply against her mouth, wanting to speed up the lesson by focusing on other parts of her body, to what she simply nodded looking into my eyes with heavy lids. Her trembling hands traveled down her body to comply with my last demand. She lifted her hips while leaning on me to get rid of her undergarments…when they had been slipped down to the knees she brought them to her chest bending her legs to finish pulling her feet out of the long underpants. I watched the whole process enthralled and highly amused by her eagerness for undressing. She settled again reclining on me, waiting for me to regain the control of the situation, leaving her own hands at my disposal so I took them within a second "The most important thing to learn to enjoy _these things_ even more, is to know your body…" I told her while placing her hands on her stomach "What you like…what you don't like…" I moved her hands down and up her abdomen, approaching every time closer to the line where her bush of hair began. I envied her hands, so mine also joined the movement and they even dared to go further, with my fingers intruding her pubis caressing her curly mane; the tip of my fingers were beginning to itch to feel the warmth of her cunt. I could not resist the temptation and little by little I slid my middle finger between her folds… _Oh fuck…_ I thought when I sensed her bountiful moisture. She threw her head back releasing a groan laden with need, resting it over my shoulder and closing her eyes tightly, surrendering to her senses "You are so wet…" I said with a coarse voice, circling her hidden bud and then remembered her confusion the other night when I had told her exactly that, and she had thought that my comment was because we had just got out of the tub "Do you want to feel?" Her raggedy state did not allow her to answer so I took the liberty of taking her right hand to guide her towards her own arousal, introducing her fingers in her scrumptious humidity; she whimpered at the feeling.

I moved her fingers in circles around her receptive sprout, and now and then, along her slippery slit, to coat her fingers with the slick essence "Do you feel that…the wetness?" I asked her, and she breathed out something like _yes_ "That's your _arousal_ …the wetter you are, the more aroused you are…" I was making a great effort to contain the roughness of my voice "…and this little _knob_ in here" I pressed her middle finger in the nub at the apex of her vulva "…it's the center of your pleasure…" I inculcated her while pressing her fingertip against that specific point. I really could not say if she was paying attention to my words above her frantic breathing, but her body seemed very involved in the lesson, so I proceeded to teach her "There are many ways to stimulate it…as I have already done it, with my fingers and tongue" I said with certain pride while my fingers accompanied hers, showing her the different rhythms and patterns and pressures she could perform, rising her keenness. The lesson only amplified my own urgency, which had never been so imperative…I tried to seek contact with her body to appease the tension in my core, but it was not enough; I was desperate to find release.

After a while, I tried to give her complete control of her own pleasure, to leave my right hand free, since my left one was firmly fastened with hers. She was clinging to it too tightly, like needing my support so I did not want to take that away from her. At some point her movements were self sufficient; I decided it was time to leave her alone and come to help to my own relief, while watching fascinated how she touched herself as delicate sounds of pleasure gushed out of her mouth; it was the most thrilling thing I had ever seen in my life. I reached my own center, sliding my hand between our bodies, while I proceeded to encourage her when feeling her breathing becoming more and more uneven "Don't stop…" I instructed her knowing that she was getting closer to her culmination, pressing her head against my shoulder with more and more force. I was not surprised to feel my own copious arousal; only _she_ could cause that unfathomable need in me. I touched myself with great fervor, trying to reach her state…

"Alex…" She whined in protest

"Pipes…keep going…please don't stop" I almost begged

"I can't…" She cried stopping her movements all of a sudden… _What?_...She was trembling trying to catch her breath, her body relaxed a little but I knew she had not reached her peak yet…

"What is it?" I also stopped wondering what had gone wrong…

"I can't…" She repeated that time with softness. I turned her face towards me with my hand to look at her. She was flushed and did not dare to look me in the eye; I cupped her cheek and caressed it with my thumb…

"Hey…what's wrong?" I feared I had done something terribly wrong but I did not know what. She did not answer; instead, she took my hand in hers and leaded down her body to lay it above her core…

"I can't do it…" She said again, slightly introverted, but like I said, she was better at communicating with her body. I understood immediately what her problem was…

"Do you want me to do it?" I asked, and she nodded very slightly and my insides crumbled with the feelings that she awoke in me every time "Kiss me…" I requested kindheartedly and her lips tentatively searched mine, while I put my fingers to work to continue with what she could not finish. I felt my own needs painfully frustrated, but that request of hers made me forget completely about them, because _how could I deny such an enticement?_

The hectic pace of the previous moment was reduced to a steady calmness, although loaded with the same craze. I kissed her unhurriedly while my fingers rubbed gently the surroundings of her bud, always avoiding it. I stroked the insides of her outer folds that held the most superb warm dampness, gathering as much as possible on my fingers to plaster her hardened bulge with it, making the touch of my fingertips nicer for her. The movements of her mouth became more demanding; there was no reason to make her wait any longer. I began to rub her clit with the pad of my index and middle fingers, trapping it between them every now and then, at intervals that assorted various types of attentions…her lips turned hot like burning iron and her breathing smoldered my lungs. Her right hand clung firmly to my neck, bringing our lips unbearably closer, while our left hands seemed merged irreversibly.

All of her seemed to give off something harmful, that was beginning to cloud my vision… _No, no that feeling again…_ but I could not stop touching her, kissing her…pushing her closer to the end, which came in the most spectacular way ever witnessed by me…I felt the most fortunate creature in the world in spite of the appalling sensation that it caused in me. She buried her nails in my neck and made me swallow all of her moans and cries, reluctant to break our lips apart. The world almost collapsed with her uncontainable trembles, more forceful than ever, while my fingers kept pulling moans out of her and making her hips rise frantically with every stroke, accompanying her on her descent. When her shudders were over, she loosened her grip around my neck, lessening the intensity with which our mouths were jointed; she was gasping for air. My hand lay motionless over her mound, my fingers still palpating the pulse of her throbbing knob, in time with her heartbeat. I could feel her recovering, her breathing becoming steadier and her heart calming down progressively. Her motionless lips came back to life, but I remained in a state of dazedness, unable to move. She did not perceive my condition, perhaps she was already used to my weird attitude, and kept trying to cheer up my lips giving me little kisses and nibbling them tenderly. I could also sense her fingers caressing the hair on the back of my neck…I concentrated hard on her touches, trying to abate the acute sensitivity that was painfully ravaging my body.

I forced my lips to respond to her kisses, and little by little I began regaining control of them and slowly but surely, of my body. Even though it took a while for the pain to dissipate, her demonstrations of affection made it bearable at some point, as if she could heal the damage she had done. She shifted between my legs trying to turn her torso to face me. I leaned forward to reach for her legs and help her to turn around, passing my right hand under her knees, pulling them towards me, while holding her back with my left arm. In a swift movement, I brought her closer to my chest, which made her giggled; she was still sitting between my legs, but with hers hanging over my right thigh. I wrapped her waist with my arms hugging her ever so tightly, cradling her against my chest and never wanting to let her go. Like that, we could see each other's faces…I would swear she looked more beautiful than ever, with light traces of blush still lingering on her face as a result of her forceful orgasm, and her eyes loaded with wasted lust…

"Hi…" She greeted me with a shy smile

"Hi…" I said back, grinning weakly like an idiot

"Are you alright?" She asked with concern as she had done before after our sexual encounters

"Why on earth wouldn't I be alright?" I tried to keep my tone light

"I don't know…you have a… _strange_ gesture on your face" She caressed my forehead with her hand

"A _strange gesture on my face_?" I asked pretending to be offended

"Yes…like you were in pain" I did an effort to mollify my _strange gesture_ "I've noticed it before…the _other times…_ and now" She was more perceptive than what I could imagine, so there was no reason not to tell her the truth, skipping some details obviously

"You are the one to blame for that…" I said softly with a tender smile, but that only worsened her afflicted face; of course I was going to explain myself better, avoiding the pain part "The things you make me feel, things that no one had ever evoked in me Piper…are so intense that...I don't know how to cope with them" That morning she had practically made me understand that she loved me. Although she did not say it directly, that's what she made me understand with her words and her soul reflected in her gaze, so it was my turn to tell her what I felt for her. Maybe, I did not have the ability to feel the same things she felt for me, because I did not have a heart, so in the strict sense, I could not fully _love_ her and that fact made me immensely unhappy. Even so, what I felt for her had to be pretty close to love, since I was literally willing to die just to be with her "They paralyze me with fear but at the same time the sensation is so devastatingly enlivening that it only makes me want to feel it over and over again…" I explained as best I could

"Why fear?" Her eyes shone with tears

"I've been as good as _dead_ for centuries…without feeling anything at all, like _frozen_ in time…and you came to transfigure my entire life all of a sudden" The tears came out from her eyes, but I could tell from her warm smile that they were tears of joy "I guess such feelings are so foreign to me that they simply… _astonish me_ …maybe I'm afraid of the unknown" I finally said with a jocular tone, to soothe her distress. She pressed her lips over mine tenderly and I could taste the salt of her tears…I turned my face away to kiss the wet trail on her cheeks, wiping the tears away from her beautiful face

"Alex…" She whispered tentatively and I assessed her waiting for her to continue talking "I'm very comfortable right now but…I'm a little cold" She expressed almost with regret, like afraid to hurt my feelings

"How inconsiderate of me…" I said playfully indignant "Let's get you under the sheets then" I proposed and we settled under the covers. I wrapped her snugly with the thick quilt, taking care not to leave her skin in direct contact with my cold one. Even so, she set her right arm free to wrap my torso without caring about the cold contact, and cuddled next to me, resting her head on my shoulder "Better?" I asked her

"Infinitely better…" She sighed

" _Sooo_ …" There was still something bugging me "Are you still reluctant to tell me what you talked about with Nicky?" I asked directly, hoping that after our new intimate exchange, she would be more willing to talk about it; I really wanted to get her to tell me everything

"You are not going to let it go…are you?" She retorted slightly annoyed

"Nope…I won't…" I stubbornly responded. She exhaled a deep sigh full with the rawest exasperation and I felt the warmth of her face on my shoulder; I knew that she was at least considering whether to tell me "I will start thinking that it is worse than it really is" That statement encouraged her to speak right away…

"It has to do with…the other night…the night of the bathtub" She spoke undecidedly…burying her face against my shoulder. My smile could not be wider

"Alright…" I was certainly curious about what she had to say

"That night…it was _different_ from the first night…" She made a silence and I let her take her time "That night I… _bleed_ " She did not speak any more so I had to guess

"And you want to know why…" I said after a while

"No…" She denied and raised her face and upper body, propping herself up with her elbow. I could see her face but she did not look at me "I mean…I've been told about it, the first blood on the wedding night…" _Arrrghh…the wedding night…_ I thought with repulsion, because if I had not found her, she would have ended up with a random idiot "I was just surprised because, _that_ did not happen the first time…so I forgot completely about it the second time, until I saw the sheets the next day and I…I was just wondering…why that did not happen the first time?"

"Is that all?" I asked incredulous, _was she actually embarrassed to tell me that?_

"I…guess so… _for now_ " She finally dared to look at me "I actually have many other questions…" She recognized and I smiled widely for her willingness to open herself to me

"Well…" I began "The first night I did not want to push you too far, much less to cause you pain, so I did not dare to taint your honor" She thought deeply about my words and diverted her eyes again

"So…that first time…you did not…take away my… _maidenhood_ " I nearly burst out laughing at that pompous word, a quite classy way to call it… _She is wonderful…_ I thought with fondness

"No…I did not" I assured her "I barely got near to your… _maidenhood"_ I made a great effort to say it without laughing

"I wish I had known before…" She complained

"Why?" _What different did it make?_

"Because, I was so mad at you!" She exclaimed irritated "When you left I felt completely disgraced…it was very distressing…and apparently all for _nothing_ " The shame for what I did that night felt fresh again

"You had all the right to be mad at me…and again I beg your pardon for having done that to you…" I regretted "Regardless of what happened, that night was really important for both of us, and I should have been more considerate of you; I should have stayed with you" She frowned deeply for a moment…

"You never told me why you did not stay…" Her voice was tainted with a sad cadence

"Unfortunately, despite being the wisest creature in the world, sometimes I can be a complete moron…" I recognized, making a beautiful smile appear on her face "Nicky reminds me of it all the time…that I lack social skills…"

"I thought that too…but you are definitely getting better…" She joked and I continued

"The things is…I could not tell you exactly why I left you alone that night, when all I wanted was to be with you, but, I can tell you why I will never make that terrible mistake again…" I told her with great resolve

"And why is that?" Her smile and eyes could not shine brighter

"Because, waking you up with kisses it has become my biggest purpose in this life and besides…" I spun her over the bed suddenly, assuming my favorite position on top of her, leaving her short of breath "You don't know how much I enjoy hearing you talking in dreams…" I said mischievously very close to her face, letting her start the kiss that I knew would come next. Anyone would think that after making her cum twice in one morning, her sexual appetite would be more than satisfied, but her more and more pressing kiss warned me otherwise…

"Is that why…the second time…felt more…substantial?" She started to ask me between kisses

"Most definitely…" I sucked her lower lip and grabbed it viciously with my teeth…

"I have…another question…" She said when I released her lip…

"Ask me all you want…" I told her gently staring into her blue gaze

"I have noticed that, every time we've done… _you know_ …it had been somehow… _different_ " With shyness, still she seemed more inclined to speak about sex "How many things…can we… _do_?"

"The possibilities are endless…" I told her roguishly; at least the possibilities that came to my mind thinking of her. Her pupils enlarged noticeably…

"And ammm…" Apparently I had opened the Pandora box that was her curiosity "How many times can we…" She trailed off raising her eyebrows suggestively. And there was a question for which I did not know the answer. If it were for me, we would not be talking in that moment as my mouth would be occupied with other kind of lips…I could do her dozens of times, all day long, but...

"Well, that depends on many factors…" ...given the circumstances, and the strange effect she had on me, I could not tell how many times my body could resist that scrumptious torture " Since there are many other things we can do…between _that_ "

"Like what…?"

"Talking…as we are doing now" I said pathetically "We can maybe drink tea in the library and discuss about books…" _Drinking tea and talk about books…_ I thought with real animosity towards myself, ashamed to look for excuses to avoid sex with her, but since I did not know how much I could take from her, I needed to occupy some hours with other things

"Alright…" She said quite let down, not very excited about my options…

"We could also… _kiss…"_ I proposed, unable to stand her disappointed look; her face lit up instantly

"That sounds… _interesting…"_ She agreed surrounding my shoulders with her hands and bringing me closer to her. She was definitely starting to look more confident, and I could only enjoy it.

I kissed her and tried to maintain a steady pace, although I did not know for how long I could kiss her without triggering other events, since she was already starting to break my tempo. She stripped me of my willpower and I fell miserably in the snare of her demanding lip… _Fuck it…_ I gave up, fearing more than anything for my mental health, since apparently I was beginning to develop a great taste for that eerie and excruciating feeling, in the other hand, the result was so tremendously rewarding… _you are a masochist Alex…_ was the last thing I thought before giving myself to her again…


	31. Chapter 31

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hellooo! I think I have a problem...I've realized that lately it's taking me more time to update (I think you have noticed that XD), not only because I lack the free time to write, but also because I'm writing very long chapters hahahaha. It's something I just noticed when I saw how many words this chapter has. I hope to compensate the waiting time with the lenght of the chapter. See you in the comment section! Hope you enjoy! Love you!

 **CHAPTER XXXI (Piper's POV)**

"This…" She told me in the ear while I felt her firm but gentle push "This is what made the second night different…" She stopped her thrust movement making me feel complete "To be inside of you…rousing the most inner part of your body…" The roughness of her voice against my ear did not correspond with her tender movements. I opened my eyes and she was already above me watching me delighted, with a treacherous stare and a wicked smile capable of causing chaos in my heart "Do you feel the difference?" She asked raising her dark thin eyebrows to what I could just nod. Her fingers then began to stir in me pertly causing me to gasp desperately for air, since it was more the air that escaped from my lungs than the one I could replenish with every intake of breath. Her naughty face transfigured into a strict one, her jaw was clenched and her nostrils enlarged "You have no idea…how wonderful you feel inside" Her voice had dropped ever so low and I had to close my eyes unable to hold her feral gaze; there were still moments when she made me feel too self-conscious of the situation "Are we going to be shy now?" She said with humor. The fact that she emphasized my coyness only made it worse; I knew she did it precisely with the intention of increasing my discomfiture "You know what I truly enjoy more than anything in the world?" She kept talking with raspy voice, asking questions that I could not answer, since I was tongue tied by the breathtaking things her fingers were performing within me "The red tone that covers your face every time you feel embarrassed" And there she was again, exposing me mercilessly and deepening my blush infallibly "Mhmmm… _Lovely_ " She approved…

I wanted to silence her so she would stop messing with me. I wrapped her upper back firmly with my arms and pulled her towards me to collide our lips and shut her up in the only way I knew under those circumstances. I invested all my strength to accomplish my goal, but her position was immovable, even when I hang my upper body from hers with my arms, I could not move her not even an inch. Even so, I reached her mouth only for some seconds since my arms were not able to hold me up for too long, and I had to let myself fall again, lying completely on the bed…

"Alex…" I complained wanting to feel her lips more than anything in the world…

"I was wrong before…" _Stop talking!_ I wanted to scream at her "I think I enjoy even more the way you say my name while I do you…" Tired of her chitchat I opened my eyes feisty to face her… _Terrible mistake…_ Not only my tongue was tied but my whole being. Her beaming smile could not be more premeditated, quite aware of the effect she had on me; she knew she could handle me at her will and I could do nothing but to follow her pitifully "Something wrong?" She asked innocently as her imperative thrusts became steadier, slowing down agonizingly. I whimpered exasperated with her teasing "You know you can ask me anything you want" Her movements became almost imperceptible, just as her whispering voice "If you want me to go faster or slower, or if you prefer to be touched in one way or another, in specific parts of your body…" She continued speaking very thoughtfully, and I realized that it had all been part of another _lesson_ "All _that_ you can tell me Piper…so talk to me and tell me…What do you want of me?" She encouraged me and I processed all she had just told me…

"I want you to… _kiss me_ …" I told her tentatively short of air, causing her to smile with my request

"Good girl…" She winked at me wickedly and just like that, she gave me what I had been wanting for a while… _If I had known that before…_ I thought smiling internally, happy to learn that little piece of information that gave me so much power "What else?" She muttered against my keen lips… _What else?_ That could take a while, but there was only one thing as urgent as feeling her lips, a deep necessity that her inert hand on my core only made worse… But since I did not know exactly what was what she was doing, I had no simple words to tell her what I wanted

"Your hand…" As soon as I said it she resumed the stirring motion of her fingers within me, while trapping my lips again on hers. I hoped for the movement to increase over time, matching the growing rhythm of our kissing; nevertheless, that did not happen, and it did not matter how fervent the engagement of our lips was, the cadence of her press inside me remained constant. Not that I could complain, since the sensation was very rewarding, but my body was screaming for more, so I dared to speak the only word that came to mind "Faster…" I blurted into her mouth without restrictions remembering her own words… _If you want me to go faster or slower…_ as a magic command, I sensed my request being fulfilled delectably. The movements became urgent, still it did not seem to be enough, nothing was ever enough; I just wanted more and more of her, of everything she could give me. She had just told me that I could ask her anything; nevertheless, I thought maybe it was too early to ask again, so I refrained from saying the magic word, not wanting to be too greedy…

"Piper…" She growled my name with effort after a while, and without telling her to do so, she magnified her tempo splendidly drawing cries out of my mouth "Come for me…" She said incoherent, like a prayer, like a _commandment_. I kissed her harder, until my lips hurt, until my insides fluttered frantically with the already familiar sensation…

Every time it happened, it felt better that the previous one. I could never get tired of that feeling, so intense that made me see the stars without needing a clear night sky. It germinated in the depths of my being and spread over my skin like fire in the dry grass, enveloping the tip of my toes and fingers with its blaze; her icy touch was always offered providentially to pacify the blistering sensation. I had withdrawn from her lips while the epic emotion lasted to fill my lungs with air as if I had been submerged in the water for minutes; after letting out in the same process those intelligible sounds that always escaped from my throat, I got some sense back. I searched again for her lips inevitability, as they had become so necessary for my wellbeing, attracting her face pulling firmly from her wild raven hair, where my fingers had apparently found their beloved haven. When it came to finding refuge, my tongue preferred her mouth instead; in there I could always find its counterpart, quite ready to welcome me, although at that precise moment it did not give signs of life. I enveloped her velvety cold tongue with mine imploring for it to come out of its motionless state, just like her. After some seconds, I felt the lost of her inside of me, accompanied by a slight tenderness and after that, she collapsed on me unable to hold the heaviness of her body with her arms, leaving me momentarily out of breath until I got used to her weight; she fell on her face, burying it in the pillow where I rested my head. I would have thought that she had fallen unconscious, but I knew it was not the case since I could hear her hoarse breathing right on my ear, muffled by the feather pillow. That condition of her began to worry me truly, even though she insisted every time that she was perfectly fine. I did not want to ask her anymore about it, so I just gave her all the time she needed to leave that gloomy state behind. I stroked her back and hair lovingly, wanting to comfort her, with the intuition that what she was experiencing was actually pain. When her breathing became more measured I dared to speak to her…

"Alex…" I whispered turning my head to one side to reach her ear "Alex…I really need you to tell me something…" I tried to shake her off of me pushing her by her shoulders, with the sole purpose of turning her around on her back and assess her face, but I was not strong enough; nevertheless, I felt her weight lightening and realized that she was trying to lift her body from me…

"I'm sorry…I have fallen on you" She said with a husky voice while propping her torso up with her elbows. I searched for her face covered by her untamed hair with dense strands that fell on my eyes; I put them away with my fingers to see a deep grimace plastered on her face, which made my heart crumple… _Are you alright?..._ I wanted to ask her but I already knew what the answer would be…

"It's alright…" It's all I could say and I clung to her neck to keep her from moving away from me "Come here…" I tugged lightly on her inviting her to rest her head on my chest. She couldn't deny my offer, and dropped back down to fall upon me more carefully that time, settling the right side of her face above my heart. We remained in that position for an endless time, which would have been peaceful if it were not for my distress knowing for sure that something was wrong with her. I combed her long hair with my fingers, waiting for her to be the first one to speak…

" _Mhmmm_ …" She hummed after a very long time "This feels so good…" Her voice was soft and light, which reassured me immediately

"Are you feeling better?" I asked cautiously

"I've never been better…trust me" She chuckled sending rippling sensations through my chest

"Then you are going to continue lying to me…" It bothered me that she kept pretending that nothing was wrong with her

"I beg you pardon!" She exclaimed offended by my accusation, and got her upper body up immediately to face me with an amused gesture "Are you calling me a liar?" She asked with incredulity

"Yes, I am…" I told her severely "You keep telling me that you are perfectly fine but I can't believe you when you are obviously in pain…"

"I'm not in pain, I told you already; I'm not used to these feelings" She dropped her humorous charade to a more serious one "They make me feel… _vulnerable…_ and that's all" I stared at her trying to discern whether she was telling the truth "I can't feel pain Piper; nothing can hurt me, remember? I swear I've never felt so wonderfully…" What she said made sense and her clear eyes no longer had traces of grief in them; even so, I did not fully believe her

"If you say so…" Nonetheless, I decided to drop the subject for the moment.

"I promise…" She assured and leaned down to kiss me again. That time, I was more cautious with the kiss, not wanting to repeat what had just happened. Despite how wonderful it was every time, I began to feel guilty because her situation seemed to get poorer every time we did _that…_ it was the third time that morning, and the latter seemed to take her quite some time to come back to herself. I forced myself to disentangle my lips from hers…

"Maybe we should get out of bed…" I proposed thinking about her previous suggestions when she had said that we could do other activities besides _that…_ "And do other things…" She had never act so strange when we had done other things, so that was a safe bet. She watched me suspiciously…

"A moment ago I offered the same to you and if I recall correctly, I perceived some reticence on your part…why the sudden change of mind?" She asked inquisitive

"No reason…" Of course she suspected what my reasons were

"Piper…I told you already…I'm completely _fi_ …" I interrupted her immediately

"Yes yes, you made it quite clear…you are fine!" I said with a tired tone "Not everything revolves around you…the thing is, I'm a little… _tired…_ " I said because honestly, it was true, although that was not my _main_ reason at all. Something about her gaze warned me that she had not believed me not even a little bit, however, she decided to play along…

"Alright…if that's it…" And she ended our little argument

We spent the rest of the morning in the library, scrutinizing the numerous titles while she gave me recommendations on what readings were mandatory, until lunchtime, when she offered to go to the kitchen again…

"Is not that supposed to be my job?" I opposed, holding her hand firmly so she would not go "I am the housekeeper…"

"Yes, and I wish you would stop doing that…" She replied sternly

"Why?"

"Because…you don't _have_ to serve me anymore…" I knew she meant it, and I knew that if I wanted to, I could stop doing so…

"But I like it…it makes me feel useful, knowing that I have responsibilities…" I explained her "Although the last few days those responsibilities have been slightly neglected" I pondered repentantly, which caused her to laugh and pulled me towards her by my waist, leaving our faces barely an inch apart…

"I don't think you'll get complaints from the lady for your poor performance, after all, she's been the one who had kept you away from your chores" She trapped my lips on hers very gently for a couple of seconds that were enough to cloud my senses "Today you will not go anywhere, so stay right here" She threatened me warmly

"At some point I will have to leave the room…I need clothes, I mean…you will not pretend that I spent the rest of the day wearing only this…right?" I took a step back away from her to show her my point, she watched me closely, from head to toe and a cocky smile appeared on her lips, I knew immediately it had been a terrible idea to ask her…

"Well, if you ask me…you could be wearing _less_ than that" She said naughtily. I was wearing only my breeches and my camisole, that without the corset, made me feel already quite exposed, since she prevented me from putting on it, asking me earnestly to give it an opportunity to its disuse "But that's only my humble opinion…" I rolled my eyes and with that, she left to bring us lunch…

During meal, I noticed a strange attitude in her. She was silent, as if thinking deeply about something, and responding poorly to each one of my attempts to have a conversation with her, almost absent. Finally, she spoke after we finished our lunch…

"I was thinking about what you said earlier" She said too casual and I looked at her attentively, not knowing what she was referring to "About leaving the room because you needed your clothes…" She explained further, a little… _anxious?_ I was trying to discern her behavior, I had never seen her nervous "I thought that maybe…it would be more suitable for you…I don't know…bringing your clothes and all your stuffs to my room…"

"And what if I need something when I'm in my room?" I did not understand why that would be more convenient for me

"That's the point…you would not need your room anymore since… _my_ room would become _your_ room, hence… _our_ room" It took me a while to comprehend what she meant

"Oh…" _Like married people_ , I thought "You mean… _sharing_ the same room" but we were not _married_

"It's just an idea, since you've spent enough time in here and…" She began explaining…

"Alex…" I interrupted her softly "What is this?"

"What is what?" She asked bewildered, taken aback with my question

"You and I…" It was a question that had been formed in my mind for a while…

"What do you mean?" She asked after taking a big breath of air

"A man and a woman…they are engaged before getting married, to become spouses…husband and wife…" I did not think it was necessary to explain further. She watched me entranced with the most genuine of the smiles I had seen sketched on her face

"You are wondering if there is any way to name what's between us…is it right?" She said to see if she had understood, so I just nodded and she kept quiet for a long moment as if thinking of something, until she finally asked me softly "Do you really think that what _we_ have, what _we_ feel, must be _labeled_ in some way?" I thought about it…it was one of the things I had asked Nicky, but she recommended that I should discuss those subjects with Alex instead. She got up from her chair when she did not get an answer on my part, and came to kneel beside me looking at me deeply with great affection "There may not be an official _name_ for _us…_ we cannot get engaged, we cannot get married, but honestly…who the hell cares about that?" She laughed bitterly in the end "Those are foolish principles made up by man, and I would never allow something as mundane as those rules to define how I feel for you _…_ " She took my hands on hers and with boundless kindness continued saying… "What we have transcends any label already described, and that's what makes us unique" If it was possible, at that precise moment, I felt I wanted her even more…her words touched my soul and I found myself without words, only capable of smiling until leaving my cheeks sore "I do not intend to force you to make big changes…" She spoke and I knew she had left the gravity behind "I was honestly only thinking about what was easier for you…it's not because I would like having you around all the time…" She said unflappably, as if the issue did not matter at all to her

"Oh…" I exclaimed in realization "If it's just about making my job easier…then I guess _that_ might be actually a great idea…" I continued with her casual tone

"I can only think of great ideas…" She said conceited, and I could only laugh at her lack of humbleness

After that conversation we decided to go directly to my room to pick up my few belongings. Everything I owned came with that room. Only my few changes of everyday clothes, which were my uniform as part of the service, a pair of shoes, my bathrobe, a coat, some night garments and a stack of books, that were actually hers. I put it all on the bed by piling it up, as I continued searching the room under her watchful eye. I had finished gathering my few _possessions_ and saw the small mountain of things, that after all, were not mine either and realized that I owned _nothing._ I could not help thinking about my previous life, so full of jewels and dresses, every day a new garment…and laughed at how empty that life had been for me…

"Is there something funny?" She observed me cautiously

"These are all my belongings…" I explained her, pointing to the source of my laughter. She assessed the objects and frowned deeply

"Well…that's something that can be mended" She walked towards me taking my hands on hers "The next time you go to the village you can buy…dresses and shoes, hats and scarves, anything you want, you will have it…" She assured me meaningfully without understanding why the situation had caused me to laugh

"No…you don't get it" I replied causing her to deepen the crease between her eyebrows "I don't need any of that…" I assured her. There I was, with nearly no belongings and yet, I felt had it all

"Then…what's the problem?"

"None…" I smiled broadly and she looked at me as if I was losing my mind. I rolled my eyes before explaining myself "I've spent my whole life surrounded by luxuries…when I got here and I was stripped of all those things I thought it would be the end of the world but here I am…happier than I would have ever imagined I could be" The hint of a smile threatened to appear on her lips and her green eyes only reflected warmth…

"That's…" She took a deep breath and stared into my eyes "What I want the most in the whole world" She caressed my cheek with her thumb and then turned her attention to my belongings on the bed "If this is all…let's go then…there's something I want to show you" She added mysteriously

"What is it?" As always, curiosity took over me every time she proposed something…

"You'll know when you see it"

"Can I at least put on my usual clothes?" She took a moment to think about it squinting at me

"Fine…" She agreed comically at last

"I will dress very quickly" I told her and took one of my usual outfits and headed to the bathroom area, which was separated from the rest of the room barely by a wooden screen…

"Really? Do you need privacy?" She asked amazed when I got behind the panel

"Well…yes…" I told her from behind the divider and I could hear her soft chuckle…

"You did not seem so inhibited this morning…" She murmured loud enough to be heard, but I ignored her comment somewhat embarrassed by it

When I finished dressing properly, we went to her room, or should I say, _our_ room, to store my things in a space she cleared for me along with her belongings. After that, she guided me out to the hall…

"Have you ever seen the rest of this wing?" She asked me heading to an area that I had never trespassed

"No…I've never actually walked past your room…" It was not something I had thought about it either. For some reason it seemed wrong to wander around that part of the castle that obviously belonged to her quarters, and the cleaning tasks were only limited to those areas where she spent most of her time; her room and the library…

"I'll show you then…" She said enigmatic, arousing my interest even more. We walked by several doors while she explained "These are empty rooms, there is nothing interesting in them…" She said indifferently "What I want to show you is at the end of the hall" From her room, the end of the hall was impossible to distinguish, it was a fairly long and gloomy corridor, only some light came in through small windows on the right side, and the sunlight was rather scarce in that place. But as we walked further, my eyes began to perceive a large double door, higher than any door I had ever seen in my life, even larger that the main door of the throne room of my old home, which was already quite astounding. My heart was pounding as we approached, and my mind began to work really hard trying to guess what was behind that door; I began to lighten the pace, almost dragging her by her arm to go faster. She sensed my eagerness…

"Do you have to be always _so_ impatient?" I rolled my eyes and took her arm to walk again next to her

"You are being slow on purpose" I reproached her and the roar of her laughter ran through the endless corridor…

"You got me…" She recognized…of course she was doing it intentionally "But we are already there…" She said two steps away from the door and extended her arms to grasp the thick iron rings that hung from the doorknobs "Close you eyes…" She commanded me with a smile and I had no choice but to close them. I heard the door squealing with great clamor; with that size they probably weighted quite a bit…immediately my nose registered a smell like things stored for a long time "Do not open your eyes until I tell you…" She warned me seriously and grabbed my hands inviting me to walk into the room, taking small hesitant steps for walking blind, although she was guiding me. I walked what I thought had been a good stretch and again got a little keen…

"Can I open them now?" I heard an exasperated snort from her and we came to a halt…

"Alright…open them now…" She gave in to my anxiety. I opened my eyes immediately as I felt I couldn't wait another second. The first thing I saw was _her_ in front of me, smiling at me expectantly. My eyes lingered on her face for a moment and then began to wander around the _room…_ no, _that_ was not a mere room. I did not know what I was expecting to see, but definitely not _that…_ if I thought the library was imposing I would not know what to say about that place that seemed to have no end. What impressed me the most was looking up. The high vaulted ceiling was held in dozens of cylindrical columns and arches. Each vault had in its center a circular skylight that allowed the entrance of all possible light; it was truly remarkable and I had never seen anything like it in my life, and I had been in the castles of the most honorable lords of one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the world. After recovering from the impact caused by the impressive ceiling, I looked down to focus on what was around me. Rows and rows of objects occupied each space on the floor. In spite of the amount of things that were in there, everything seemed to be perfectly organized, as set out for your admiration… "So?" I heard her voice behind me. I turned to her trying to get out of my shock…

"What is this place?" I couldn't stop smiling

"Do you like it?"

"It's…" I was out of words to describe it "Unbelievable" I said falling short with the description

"It's the attic" She said unflappably

"The attic…" I repeated mockingly releasing a short snort. The attic in my house was full of trash and unusable objects that had been waiting for years to be fixed…

"I am a _collector_ …" She let me know…I loved discovering new things about her…

"And what do you like to collect?" I looked around and saw a bunch of things that had nothing in common with each other "A little of… _everything_?"

"No…only beautiful things" There were a couple of objects to my left that to be honest, were not pretty at all. She must have seen my face of puzzlement because she immediately explained further "Not for the physical attributes per se, but for the story behind them"

"I see…" There were things for which I did not even have a name

"Do you want to look around?" She asked me hesitantly

"Are not we here for that?" I told her and she widened her smile

She picked up a candlestick and lit it for more visibility and we began to walk slowly through the long galleries, while she explained the history of the objects that caught my attention the most. She had a large collection of works of art, even from artists known to me; paintings, sculptures, anything you could imagine; unlikely inventions and old prototypes of things that already existed, hung on every wall. My curiosity was insatiable, and I did nothing but to ask her all the time… _What is this? What is that?..._ My impertinence did not bother her, she was actually very pleased to answer every inquiry to appease my nosiness, and she even seemed to enjoy telling me the stories behind the items.

"You have the whole world in here …" I exclaimed fascinated. She had mentioned places I did not even know existed, or that were so old that they had already other name "How did you get all these things?"

"The vast majority are offerings and gifts given by my petitioners over so many centuries" She explained, awakening my attention towards a topic forgotten some time ago "I only keep what I consider to be worth keeping, otherwise, the whole castle would be full of things"

"You never told me exactly how old are you…" I said in a casual tone, without intending to be too indiscreet

"Are you sure you want to know?" I nodded ecstatic waiting for her answer "I have been in this world for over six centuries…" When she told me about her immortality, I had taken the information quite well, but when she told me the number, my perspective changed… _Six centuries!_ How many lives of mine fit in six centuries? More than thirty, if I was not wrong with my numbers… "Are you alright?" She asked me with great caution

"Yes…" I whispered, making her knit her eyebrows "It is…quite overwhelming to know the figures…" I tried to recompose myself "I would have never imagined you were so old" I joked at the end to lighten the subject…

"Do you think I am too old for you?" She demanded to know harshly with seriousness, but her shining eyes showed me nothing but amusement...

"If you only were a century younger…" I said contrite breaking her severe façade. Her broad grin was certainly the most striking thing in the room…

"Are you going to keep messing about my age or can we continue with the tour?" I tried to keep my face straight

"I'll try to stop…I really want to continue with the tour…" And so we did. After a few steps, a small objet caught my attention. It was circular and golden; it looked like a pocket watch, although its hands were not the same, and did not have numbers either "Is this some kind of clock?" I asked her assessing the object from close taking it with great care between my hands, it was beautiful…

"That's a _compass_ …" The word did not ring a bell

"I don't know what _that_ is…but it's beautiful…" She laughed slightly at my conclusion

"A compass is a tool for orientation…it shows you where the north is all the time" She got closer to me to show me "See these letters... _N, E, S, W_ …they stand for the four cardinal points..."

"North, East, South, West…" I did know that…

"Exactly…" She continued her explanation "And this little needle, points north, so you can orient yourself in case you get lost, say in a forest…It's a very common object; I'm surprised that you did not know about it…"

"Maybe my mother thought it improper for me…she would have told me… _it's not very lady-like to get lost in the woods_ " I made a poor imitation of her voice and she laughed gently

"Well…you can have it…so you don't have problems orientating yourself in the forest because the sky is always cloudy" She reminded me of the other day, when she had took me to that wonderful place, northward…

"Really?" I asked incredulous; it was evident that all the objects in that place were of great value, or at least, they were valuable to her…

"Of course, in fact…there's a reason why I brought you to this place…" She began saying with importance "This…" She made a motion with her hands as if inviting me to look around "This is all I have…and, I know you said that you were happy and that you did not need… _possessions_ …but still, I want you to know that everything I own is also yours…" I was perplexed by the magnitude of her words and what they meant… I wanted to tell her that all that was not necessary, but it seemed to me a little discourteous to despise her wonderful gesture

"Alex that's…a tremendously beautiful gesture and it means a lot to me…however..." I told her from my heart "I honestly don't see myself needing all of _this…_ among all the things in this room, I can only think of one thing that is really indispensable for me…" I said with certain bashfulness and looked at her with great significance, to let her know that _she_ was what I wanted the most. She returned the same look with clear eyes loaded with fondness and leaned to me, posing briefly her lips on mine…

"Come on…we still have a lot to see…" She added after the short exchange…

We continued walking while she told me the ins and outs of all the wonders around us, until reaching an area that appeared to be the epicenter of the amazing place. The ceiling in there seemed to converge in a large dome, with numerous windows that allowed the light to enter considerably, despite being in the darkest place on earth. The floor under the dome was circular and the objects in there were much more majestic in size…right in the middle, something caught my attention. It was not the largest or most colorful object, because actually, it was covered by a white sheet, which was what really made it stand out from the rest…

"What is that?" I asked her while approaching to the center…

"It's a _musical instrument_ …" She got ahead of me and pulled the sheet away to reveal what lay beneath it…It looked like an irregular shaped table with three sturdy legs, with a long bench on one of its sides. It was made of wood, so polished and shiny that I could almost see myself reflected in its smooth surface…

"I don't know what it is…" I recognized after assessing the whole thing

"Of course you don't, it's unique…" I noticed a certain tone of pride in her voice. She proceeded to lift a lid, exposing a set of white and black keys that were familiar to me…

"A clavichord…!" I exclaimed happy with my right guess…

"Almost…" She told me amused, appreciating my effort "This is a _piano,_ an improved version of the clavichord…" She explained conceitedly

"Why is it unique…?" I asked her

"Because, there is no other like it in the world…" I found myself enjoying her haughtiness

"How did you get it?" If it was as unique as she said it was, I definitely wanted to know how it had ended up in her hands…

"It's a sad story…" She warned me in advance...

"Still...I want to hear about it…" I insisted and she took a few seconds of silence to begin telling the story...

"The man who built it, spent years developing this model…he was a virtuoso musician…" She began saying with avid tone, stroking the smooth surface of the _piano_ "One night, I heard a distant prayer and as always, I went to attend the request…I appeared in a spacious and very luxurious room and from somewhere, it came the saddest melody I had ever heard in my existence, but despite the sad tempo, it was truly dazzling. I was mesmerized by it and it drew me like a moth to a flame…" Her voice became increasingly distant, as lost in the memory of the story "At the end of the room, there he was…sitting on this bench and moving his hands with great nimbleness along the keys. He was so immersed that he did not notice my presence, and because I was enjoying the music, I did not interrupt him…When he finished playing the piece, he raised his sight and observed my reflection in a mirror… _Are you the Warden?..._ he asked, to which I just nodded. He turned around on his seat to face me… _let's get this over with…_ he simply said with great resolution" She faced me, coming out of her memories "Turns out to be that, the love of his life had died a few years ago, and he was not able to endure life without her; the only thing that kept him going those past years, was to build _this_ " She again turned her attention to the instrument "The idea had been hers, and they had spent years working on it…when she died, he decided to continue alone, to make her idea a reality, to honor her memory…"

"What did he want from you?" I asked with some fear, feeling deep down that I already knew the answer. She looked at me sideways for a moment before answering, and fixed her gaze on the piano

"He wanted to meet her…but he lacked the courage to do it" She did not have to say the word for me to understand that he wanted to die "He had nothing to give me in return; everything that had ever been of value to him had lost its meaning when he lost her, so he could not pay me for the favor…still, I agreed to it, out of compassion…I was not expecting anything from him given the circumstances. I offered him a potion, assuring him that it would be quick and painless, and before drinking it…he asked me to keep his piano and to make good use of it…" Tears escaped from my eyes inadvertently…

"It's a very sad story…" I barely said with a lump in my throat. She turned her attention to me

"I'm sorry" She regretted deeply and got closer to me "Now I've made you cry…" She cupped my cheeks and wiped my tears with her thumbs caringly. I laughed at my silliness and sniffed my nose, forcing myself to keep my composure…

"It's alright…" I said halfheartedly thinking about how terrible it would be to lose your _love…What would be my life without her?_ I dismissed the dark thought immediately, infinitely grateful for her immortality… "Have you…fulfilled his last wish?" She knitted her eyebrows in confusion "I mean…Have you made good use of it?" That time my voice came out a little more cheerful, trying to lighten the depressing atmosphere left by the story…

"At first, I spent most of the time learning how to play it…it took me years to do it to perfection but then…it became _boring_ " She said

"Boring?"

"I had no one to listen to me, so I stopped playing" She did not say that in a sad tone, but I found her words depressing "Then Nicky appeared in my life, and when she was a little older, I tried to teach her but it was a tremendous waste of time…" She chuckled

"Why?"

"It was really hard to keep her attention…she could not stay still for five minutes" I had fun with the little anecdote "I hardly got to teach her how to read and write…I tried to teach her some numbers but it was a worst idea than to teach her to play the piano…" I was vastly moved imagining Alex doing all those things with a younger Nicky… "To sum it up…I have not played the piano for too many years…"

"Do you think you can play something for me?" I asked her tentatively; she narrowed her eyes as if pondering my request "I would love to hear you playing…" _That_ made her give in. With a mischievous smile she took my hand and invited me to take a sit on the bench, at the right end of it, while she settled right in the middle, leaving no space between our bodies

"Alright…" She placed both hands lightly on the keys, and very quickly, she ran the keys with her fingers from the left end to the right, cheerfully awakening the notes that had been dormant for years. The sound of the instrument was clear and loud, much more elaborated that the sound of the clavichord "It works!" She said humorously

"What are you going to play?" She turned her head and looked at me enigmatically

"Mhmmm…" She pondered "I'm feeling quite inspired…maybe I can improvise something for you…" She said spiritedly; I loved watching her so lighthearted, so I could not help but to smile like an idiot. She stared at my smiling lips, inhaled deeply and resumed a serious manner, although her lips still kept the hint of a slight smile. She straightened her face and looked down at her positioned hands on the keys. I waited an endless moment until she dared to begin playing; the first chord took me by surprise by the sturdiness of the sound that made my chest resonate…the beginning of the melody was hesitant, but after some seconds, she brought to life the most astounding piece of music, starting with a slow tempo that increased with every second, along with the complexity of the piece. The performance of her fingers along the keys marveled me; I could do nothing but to stare at her hands stunned by their dexterousness. For an instant, I allowed myself to look up to see her face and to my amazement, her eyes remained closed tightly, highly focused. I could not understand how it was possible for her to do such a wonderful thing with her eyes closed. I turned my attention again to her skilled hands and got engrossed in the melody. There was a moment where the notes could not be more animated…I felt them running through my body, filling me with the most genuine feeling of happiness and buoyancy. The piece went in crescendo to stop unexpectedly, giving way to the initial fragment, with a more moderate cadence tainted with certain melancholy, but again, little by little, the chords conceded the entrance to more colorful notes, lifting my heart to the highest, and once more the piece reached its climax, to decay melodiously with a new set of somber notes, bringing with them the end of the song.

I stood still, making an effort to interpret what I felt at that moment. I did not know if the piece had made me happy or sad… _Was it possible to hold both feelings in unison?_ …In spite of that, one thing was certain; it had been the most astonishing thing I had ever had the opportunity to witness. Not only the remarkable melody had left me speechless, but that _she_ was able to create that magnificent thing…

"Well?" She said after a long moment...Her voice took me out of my reverie

"I'm _speechless_ …" I whispered with a knot on my throat

"It happens to me sometimes; luckily music does not need words …" She smiled at me fondly and we stared at each other's eyes " _Your smile_ …" She said out of nowhere making me pucker my brows "The name of the song…your smile was my muse. It is only right to give it some credit"

"Really?" I asked incredulous, unable to understand how my smile could be the source of her inspiration

"You have no idea the things your smile arouses within me…" Of course, her words made me grin…

"Thank you…for such a wonderful piece…" I told her and tilted my body towards her, bringing my face closer to hers…

"You are welcome…" She got to say before my lips silenced her. Something surfaced inside me, an uncontrollable desire for her, stronger and more impetuous. I longed for her, even though she was there with me. I wanted to hug her, to kiss her; I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time with happiness…the words were there, stuck in my throat. I broke the kiss to mutter them…

"I love you…" I said the words unwittingly, as if incapable of holding them anymore. I did not dare to open my eyes, feeling extremely vulnerable. The sensation worsened with every second of silence and my face burned like never before. I wanted to take them back… _Have she heard me?...Of course she heard you Piper!..._ I debated with myself while waiting for her to say something to put an end to the excruciating silence that followed, I don't know for how long…

P.S.: Don't hate me for the ending...


	32. Chapter 32

**AUTOR'S NOTE:** SURPRISEEEE! A new chapter sooner than I expected...it's a little shorter than previous chapters, but it turned out that way...I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. By the way, for those who don't read the comment section...I forgot to tell you that I actually got inspired in a song for the one Alex played on the piano, it's called "Nuvole Bianche" and it is composed by Ludovico Einaudi, just in case you wanted to know, that's the song I had in mind for that scene ;)

P.S.: To my readers from the USA, my heart goes out to you for the terrible events in Las Vegas. :(

 **CHAPTER XXXII (Alex's POV)**

"I love you" She barely whispered, invading my face with the warmth of her sweet breath. I knew it already, I could see it in her eyes, in her soul, in the words she had uttered that morning, when I had encouraged her to describe what she felt for me; but hearing her saying the specific words was something completely different. Three simple words that had left me paralyzed and unable to react. What was I supposed to do? The logical thing would have been to tell her that I loved her too, to reciprocate her feelings, but that was a blatant lie…I did not _love_ her, simply because I couldn't, not without a heart, and also, beacuse of who I was; a drawback that until then had not been a problem for me…I've never felt so empty like in that precise moment. The silence was beginning to be uncomfortable; I had to say something, but I could not lie to her, not about something so significant…

"Piper…" I said her name sweetly, lessening the blow. She must have sensed something in my tone, because immediately, with great humiliation she blurted some words out…

"I'm so sorry…" Her discomfort was palpable "I don't know why I said _that_ " I hated myself for having taken so long to say something; obviously my long silence was interpreted in the worst way by her

"No…please don't be sorry for that…" I did not want her to take her words back "Look at me" Her shame did not allow her to look up "Piper…please look at me" I begged cupping her right cheek with my left hand, forcing her lightly to raise her face, but her eyes remained low. She seemed congested, about to cry of humiliation; I did not want to push her to look at me so I began talking very gently to her "You are the most extraordinary thing that has happened to me in my life…" And certainly also the worst, according to the prophecy "Until now, I thought my existence was meaningless but then you appeared in my life and I…I understood that my destiny was unquestionably tied to yours" If she only knew how much she was destined to find me, because no doubt, she was the one who had found me, to fulfill the forecast of my doom "And all those endless years of solitude and emptiness were necessary so that we could meet, and I feel so lucky to have found you after so many years" Finally, she struck me with her sky blue eyes which shone with tears decorated by the candlelight "You have awakened untold feelings in me, and you mean absolutely everything to me" _But I can't love you…_ I failed to say, I did not have the guts to tell her the truth about me. I hoped that my words could reach the same significance as hers, but her sad gesture made me realized that no, they were not the same. She was making an effort not to cry, even so, a small drop escaped from the corner of her eye and managed to wet the hand I held on her face. I considered telling her, _I love you,_ out of compassion, but she did not deserve those empty words…I got closer to her, placing a soft kiss on her lips loaded with sorrow, for having broken her heart… "It's getting dark…" I pointed out ever so softly "Let's go…"

We got up and I offered her my arm, which she held tightly with her hands as always, but I felt everything had changed after our conversation. We walked the long hallway side by side, and I missed the enthusiasm that flowed from her as we made our way to the attic. There was certain awkwardness, caused by her silence and her obvious disillusionment; I feared I had made a terrible mistake, maybe I should have told her simply those three words, but it was already too late for that. I decided that it would be best to let it pass; at some point her sadness would have to fade away, and I would try everything to make her happy again. Of course, it was too much to ask for it to happen any time soon, at least not that same night…

"Are you hungry?" I asked her tentatively when we got to our room. It was already quite late and it was time for dinner…

"Not much…" She barely said, reluctant to look at me and let go of my arm to stand in front of the fireplace extending her hands toward the fire looking for the nice warmth of the fire

"Do you fancy a bath?" I proposed but again, she answered quite torpid…

"Actually…" She began saying and turned around to face me "I'm feeling a little tired…it's been a long day" She was so discouraged and I hated seeing her like that…

"Alright…" I walked uncertainly over her and gently took her by her waist; at least she did not seem to refuse my touch "At least let me get you something so that you don't get into bed with an empty stomach…yes?"

"Fine…" She said with a dismayed smile that did not reach her sad eyes

"I'll be right back…" I assured her and kissed her kindheartedly before leaving…

In the kitchen, a big tray was already placed on the great table loaded with large quantities of food…a great dinner…

"Hey Red…" I said half-hearted

"Lady Alexandra…" She barely greeted me, not out of rudeness, but because it was the third time we saw each other that day "Something wrong?" She asked with great concern when she turned around; she must have noticed my dispirited face…

"No…everything is perfect" I lied and of course, she did not buy it, but she knew it was futile to ask me further "Where is Nicky?" I asked immediately astonished not to find her in the kitchen for dinner

"She went to bed early, she was very tired" I felt a pang of guilt…

"I guess she's been taking care of a lot of things these days…" The work in that place never ended and I had neglected my responsibilities, leaving everything in Nicky's hands. Is not that she was unable to do so, however, she could never match what I was able to do, starting because I did not need to sleep "I guess I've been distracted from my duties lately"

"She wanted to give you some privacy" Red smiled at me knowingly

"Maybe I should give her the day off tomorrow…" I pondered "If you see her in the morning, tell her to stay at home…I'll take care of the rounds"

"I will tell her…" Red said "I've prepared a special dinner for you…there is lemon cake for dessert" She said with humorous tone

"Thank you Red…but I think it's too much" I assessed the tray closely "She's not very hungry" I further explained and she narrowed her eyes, perceiving that something was not alright…

"Take it all…maybe she'll get hungry when watching the food…" She advised me. There was nothing to lose since dinner was already set, so I said goodbye and took the tray with me. Once in the room, I heard some noise coming from the bathroom. I set the table giving her some privacy. She came out wearing her night clothes and her robe…

"What is all this?" She wondered approaching towards the table

"I know you said you were not hungry, but Red had already made all of this _aaaand_ …" I said while lifting the lid of the dessert container to show her its contents "There is lemon cake…" I waited for some kind of reaction from her, but not even _that_ seemed to cheer her up "You don't have to eat it all…sit down and at least have a couple of bites" I motioned her to have a sit and she agreed to it. I offered to serve her the main course, but she rejected the food…

"No I…" I looked at her expectantly, sensing her vacillation "I think I'll just skip the food and eat only the cake…" I had a hard time keeping my face serious and I blessed Red for her timely decision to make that cake that night "Can I do that?" She asked diffidently making me narrow my eyes

"Are you asking me for permission?" I retorted in disbelief

"I don't know…I mean…It's not very… _proper…_ to eat only the dessert" It always amazed me her conceptions of what was _proper_ or what was not

"Piper…you can do as you please…" I smiled fondly at her, and she took the cake confident by my response

"Are you not going to eat something?" She noticed after swallowing two mouthfuls of cake that I did nothing but to admire her. I took a few pieces of fruit completely distracted, only to accompany her while she ate her cake, so she did not feel observed…

"Is it good?" Clearly it was, she had almost finished her whole portion

"Mhmmm…" She swallowed "I could eat buckets of this thing…"

"That could be done…next time I'll tell Red to make a couple of pails then…" I made her laugh lively

"I don't think my stomach could handle that…" She replied joyful "But I think it would be worth the effort…" She considered dubious

"Do you want some more?" I offered her when her plate was empty

"Oh no…It will not do me any good eating another piece…" I felt her being a little more vivacious, although the sparkle of her eyes seemed weaken

"I have to leave early tomorrow…" I said not to drop the exchange of words "Nicky has been taken care of many things on her own and I thought I'd give her the day off…" I explained further

"Oh…well…I guess you cannot evade your duties for too long" She could not hide the hint of disappointment

"No, I can't…and Nicky can't take care of everything"

"Maybe I should do the same and go back to my chores"

"Actually…I thought you might want to come with me…" Her face brightened up instantly. Obviously I was not going to leave her alone, much less after what I had done to her

"Where are you going?" She failed in her attempt not to sound too keen

"I'm going to make some rounds through the woods…looking for wandering people"

"Isn't it dangerous?" She asked warily, perhaps remembering my reprimand when she asked me if she could come with me when I was going after the men that had escaped the mines…

"Going after some fugitives it's not the same as finding lost people in the forest" I explained to her

"What's the difference?"

"Fugitives are dangerous because they are no longer afraid of anything, except to be found by me…the people lost in the forest instead, are grateful to be found at least" I elaborated the explanation "So…would you like to come with me?"

"Yeah…I would like that…" She agreed, although not as gleaming as I expected

"Alright…then I suggest that you go to sleep and rest as much as you can…we must leave early" She nodded in agreement "I'll take this to the kitchen, and I will tell Red to prepare something to eat for our journey"

"And I will clean my teeth and get ready to go to bed…" She simply let me know. I could still feel in the air the sense of unease. Our exchange of words was clumsy and lacked the usual spark…

"That sounds perfect…" I agreed and proceeded to pick up the plates with her help and went to the kitchen. Back in the room, I looked for her with my eyes, and found her sitting on the right side of the bed; I wondered what she was waiting for to get into it…

"I don't know which side you prefer" She answered my internal question. Her inquiry amused me, as if she didn't remember that I could not sleep…

"I have no preference for any side…so the choice is yours" I told her while approaching her

"I think I prefer the right side…" The side where she was already sitting on. I stood in front of her and watched her from above

"It's yours then…" I caressed her hair with my right hand tugging a loose strand behind her ear "Do you want me to add more wood into the fireplace?" I had noticed that the fire was fading away

"No, I think I'm fine…I'm not cold at all…" The chimney still provided some heat

"Then I'll put out the candles and come to join you…" I told her and she settled under the sheets while I extinguished the candles in the room. I went back to bed and removed the gown I had worn all day…unlike her, I did not find bothering wearing little clothes on me…I observed her in the dark as I entered the bed. She was lying on her back, at the end of her side of the bed, staring at the ceiling; she looked tense and insecure, as if she had lost the audacity that seemed to have been booming for the last days. I feared that my words, or rather _the lack of them_ , had damaged her self-confidence irreparably. I crawled up to her and leaned searching for her lips; they responded immediately but something was missing as they were not as devoted as before. Maybe it was all very recent, I thought and stopped the kiss "What are you doing so far from me?" I asked her very softly "I _need_ you close to me" I barely pleaded and without words, she began to move under the sheets, bringing her body closer, toward the center of the bed. I lay on my right side, above the covers, not wanting to introduce my cold body under them, so that she could keep her heat "Would you be my little _spoon_?" I delivered the question next to her ear. I could never have been able to utter those words to anyone other than her...

"Little spoon?" She replied with great caution causing me to chuckle; who knows what will have passed through her mind

"I'll show you…turn around…" I encouraged her to turn her back on me and I pressed my naked front against her back "See?" I wrapped her body gladly "Now you are my little spoon" I told her placing my lips on her left ear making her body tremble. She pulled her arms out from under the sheets and clung to my left arm, hooked around her waist…we stayed in that position for a long time, until I felt her grip loosen gradually "Have sweet dreams…" I whispered but she did not respond, already asleep "I'm sorry…" I told her, taking advantage of her unconscious state "I'm sorry for not being able to love you…not the way you deserve to be loved" Those words were meant to mollify my guilt for hurting her, but nothing I said would ever make me feel better in that sense

Alone with my thoughts, I wished to be able to go back in time to tell her that I loved her too, and never hurt her feelings…what if things did not continue being as before? Before my stupid blunder? The simple thought preoccupied me deeply. I would have to do whatever it took me to remedy the damage caused. I took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of her hair that scorched my insides, trying to forget that day, which I had ruined obstreperously; everything had been perfect until that disastrous moment. I enjoyed every second and I was delighted to spend as much time as possible with her, although my favorite part had been the morning loaded with so much action; not that sex with her was the _only_ thing that mattered to me, but to defile such extraordinary beauty was the most exciting thing I had ever experienced ever; to tarnish her unpolluted body and to strip her of her innocence was beyond erotic, a real pleasure. If it had not been for the feeling of wastage and pain, I would never have felt the need of leaving that bed; perhaps, at those hours I would still be feasting on her. I could do her all day long… _if it were not for the pain_ …I thought repeatedly in that damn feeling and my brain hurt trying to understand why that happened. The third time had been perhaps the worst of all, and on second thought, I was still suffering the aftermath, since I felt tremendously fatigued and quite vulnerable…

In counterpart, I remembered the sense of relief that filled me when I had killed the man the day before and my right hand itched with the memory of it wrapping his dark heart… _Derek…_ the darkness that dwelt in me reminded me of the name…but that was not the name of the man I had killed. The one named Derek I had left alive, in the dark cells. My right hand became a fist just thinking about clutching his heart; surely that would help me replace the strength I had lost during the day. The decision was already made inadvertently, moved by my inner darkness. With extreme care I turned away from her to get out of bed without waking her up. I dressed very quickly; I put on some pants, a blouse and my boots, without bothering to put on my underwear, and headed for my destination. At the entrance of the cells I came across Piscatella; he was very scared to see me since evidently, at those hours of the night he did not expect visits, much less mine…

"My Lady…" He got up hastily once recovered from the initial shock and bowed solemnly "To what do I owe the honor?" He asked with great courtesy

"Where is he?" A voice that was not mine asked…

"Excuse me?" He did not understand my question

"The man I brought you last night…where is he?" I could not control my cold and calculating voice

"Ammm…he's…in cell number three-four-two" He answered warily "Is there something wrong my Lady?" It was not usual for me to ask about a specific cell, since I was not the one in charge of the dirty work down there

"No…stay here" I commanded him leaving him perplexed to go to the cell _342._ The smell in the air made me wrinkle my nose so I stopped breathing immediately. In the most pressing darkness I saw the man tied with chains against the wall, badly bruised. It was hard to explain what those situations caused in me, as the thought that crossed my mind were utterly contradictory. As terrible as his crimes were, honestly, I could not find the image of a suffering man pleasant, which is why I did not take care of the dirty part of that job; I did not even enjoyed killing people, I only did it because it was my duty to condemn the souls of those who deserved it. _On the other hand_ , I was convinced that some people deserved some suffering, as a way of paying in their own flesh for the terrible damage they had done to others. I was sure that the man who was hanging in front of me deserved that and more… "Hello Derek" I spoke his name walking very softly towards him and he recoiled when I was very close to him, whimpering "Don't worry, I did not come to hurt you" I needed something else from him "I'm just here to put an end to your suffering" I said with my most soothing voice, like when calming the prey before giving the final blow "Any last words…?"

"I'm sorry" He barely babbled. I understood that he was regretting his crimes

"Do you regret your crimes?" I had to ask him anyway

"I do…" I decided to forgive him, not to condemn him by throwing his heart to the pit of the lost souls, reserved only for those who refused to feel repentance

"Very good…" I said and assured him "I promise you will not feel anything" With great effort he raised his eyes to look at me…

"Thank you…" I saw true remorse in his eyes and they went off before he could realize that I had already ripped his heart in the cleanest way.

No, I did not like killing…I did not take pleasure in that, even so, the sense of relief gripped my body nicely, more powerful than the first time. His heart was darker; I could feel it feeding the beast within me to satiety, replenishing my force to the utmost. But despite the revitalizing stir, I felt a sense of revulsion when I acknowledged the inert body in front of me and the stationary heart in my hand. I stepped back slightly horrified by my actions; I had never felt the _need_ to kill in order to feel better… _What am I becoming?_ I asked to myself, but another voice responded…

" _You are not becoming into anything Alex_ , _this is what you've always been, just that until now you have convinced yourself that you only did it because it was your duty…but you've always been strong thanks to the rotten hearts you have ripped out…only now you can tell the difference because she makes you weak and pathetic…"_

"Shut up!" I growled infuriated, not able to stand that damn voice talking about _her…_ I felt myself again in control of the situation and my _mind…_ The worst of all was to have the certainty that the voice was right. I had been feeding the dark part of me with the hearts of the criminals for centuries; only then, with my diminished force I could tell the difference…what was I supposed to do from then on? I was not going to give _her_ up, it was _too_ late for that, so the only way to cope with the damage she did to me, was to sacrifice a prisoner from time to time, although I had already taken two hearts in only two nights; maybe I could try to hold on as much as possible, and do it only when strictly necessary. I left the cell more confused than ever, and met again with Piscatella…his eyes lingered on my right hand, covered with blood…

"My Lady…" He greeted me

"You will have to clean the cell" I said somehow self-embarrassed by my behavior

"That won't be a problem My Lady…I will send someone to do it"

"No!" I said strictly. I did not want anyone else to get involved in that "You will do it yourself…and be careful that nobody sees you…"

"As you order my Lady" He had no choice but to agree

"There is something else I want you to do for me" I told him with gravity

"I'm just to serve you"

"I want that cell constantly occupied by _someone_ …choose among the worst criminals"

"Alright…" He said tentatively "And…what do you want me to do to them?"

"Nothing…just leave them there…I will do the rest. You just make sure cleaning the place after and to always keep someone in there" I explained carefully "But always at night…nobody must know about this…especially not Nicky, understood?"

"Absolutely my Lady, I will be very careful…" He was the right man for the request

"That'll be all…goodnight"

"Goodnight my Lady" He bowed respectfully and I left.

I went to the well behind the kitchen, looking for water and some soap to clean my hands strongly, disgusted with myself. It was hard to go back to the room and face her…even when she was asleep. She had not changed her position, which let me know that she had not woken up during my absence. I did not dare to get into bed with her, feeling too dirty to go back to her side, as if I could stain her with the shame of what I had just done. What would she think of me if she knew about it? I remembered vividly her animosity towards me when I saved her from those men in the woods…although she had understood the reasons later, it was obvious that she did not communed with the idea that I was capable of killing people _cold-blooded_. No doubt, what I had done that night and the night before would terrify her. I spent the rest of the night observing her mesmerized by her wholesomeness, more and more certain that I did not deserve _her_. Or maybe that was the whole point; _I deserved her_ , even if it was only because she was going to end with me; maybe I deserved to cease to exist after all...

Before dawn, I began to prepare everything for the day. I took some of my clothes for her, since her clothes were not fit to make rounds. Surely, she would be horrified when I asked her to wear those clothes; I could not wait to see her reaction. The atmosphere was humid and cold, so I decided to light the fireplace, to make it more pleasant for her to get out of bed. Then, I got dressed properly for the day, leaving her more time to sleep, but at some point I had to wake her up. She was so placidly asleep that it made me feel repentant to wake her up, but if I left without her, it would be a great injury to her and after my blunter from the day before I would have to be more careful with my actions and words not to hurt her again. I sat on the bed, beside her, and leaned down to sigh in her ear…

"Pipes…" It was not enough. I caressed her hair very gently and her face stirred ever so slightly "Come on…wake up" I told her a little more loudly

"Mhmmm" She complained

"I thought you wanted to come with me…but if you prefer to stay sleeping…" I said nonchalantly, confident that my words would make her wake up. As I suspected, she opened her eyes widely…

"I'm awake…" She assured brightly and got her upper body up making me chuckle

"Good morning…" I told her amused

"Good morning…" She replied sweetly and I got closer to her very slowly. Her eyes lingered on my lips and the tip of her tongue peeked timidly to wet her lower lip. I took it as an invitation to kiss her. I leaned towards her slowly observing her disposition to be kissed by me; she did not refute the touch of my lips against hers and welcomed me delightfully. The kiss was tender and overflowing with the fervor I thought was off after what happened in the attic…I murmured a sound of gusto in her mouth before breaking our lips painfully apart

"Come on…" I gave her a light peck and got up from the bed "We must leave…" and extended my hand to help her to get out of bed. I went to get the clothes I had selected for her "Put this on…" She looked at me with suspicion

"What is that?"

"The clothes you will wear for today…"

"Pants?" She said aghast, spreading the piece of clothes…

"Yes… _pants_ …" Anyone would think I was asking her to wear a sack of onions

"What's wrong with my usual outfit?" She asked displeased

"Nothing is wrong with it…but we are going to enter in very dense areas of the forest…your clothes can get caught between the branches" I argued, still, she did not look very convinced

"Well, if you say it's better to wear _this_ …" but in the end, she agreed and got up, took the clothes with her and went to the bathroom to get dressed. I smiled at that; how could she be at that point ashamed of getting dressed in front of me? After some minutes, she came out of the bathroom and stood at the door. The first thing I noticed as always was her beautiful hair; that time it was neatly arranged in an intricate braid that collected all of her hair to let it fall over her right shoulder. She began walking towards me in a comical manner, adjusting herself to the shape of the clothes. I could not help smiling as she approached me hesitantly, with her legs slightly apart, feeling uncomfortable with her new vestment "I look hideous!" she complained fervently and that made me burst out laughing "Don't make fun of me!" She said aggravated "You told me to put this on!"

"I'm not making fun of you…" I cleared out though it was probably hard to believe when I was still laughing "You look actually marvelous"

"Alright… _now_ you are making fun of me" She accused me irritated and I tried to recompose my serious gesture while shortening the distance between us

"I swear, I'm not laughing at you…" Her skeptical face almost made me laugh again "Well, maybe I was laughing _a little_ …but only because you are walking funny" I finally admitted "But putting that aside, I guarantee you that you don't look hideous at all" Then I became more serious than ever "You could wear an old discolored rag wrapped around you, and you'd still look stunning" For crying out loud…she could wear whatever she wanted, or nothing at all, there was nothing that could appease her magnificent beauty "In fact…seeing you wearing my clothes is kind of… _alluring_ " I delivered with my most seductive voice and looked her from head to toe audaciously, pulling out several shades of red from the skin of her cheeks. I was not even lying for her sake, it was the truth; she looked really appetizing. My riding pants on her were a little loose and the long sleeve blouse was too long for her, she had to roll over the ends of it up to her elbows to keep the sleeves in place. The opening of the chest was tied up by leather chords, but between them I could glimpse her exposed cleavage…she was not wearing the corset. My eyes drifted to her breasts, and I noticed her prominent nipples through the soft fabric, making my mouth watered… "No corset?" I asked her impishly

"I promised to give it a try not to wear it…remember?" She barely said with trembling voice

"A girl of her word…" I dragged her closer hooking my fingers into the edge of the pants, tightly secured on her waist with a belt; very close to me, I captured her hot lips with great desire, sucking her lower border fervently and releasing it with a humid _pop_ "Now…put on your boots and your coat" I had to remind myself that I had responsibilities to fulfill that day "It is getting late…" She nodded entranced and proceeded to do as I said; I also left her some thick leather gloves that covered up to the forearms and in addition, I offered her my usual hooded coat "It's really cold outside" I told her before she complained "I don't want you to get sick because of me"

"Since you are always so _cold..._ I guess wintry weather is not a problem for you…" She said jokingly while accepting my coat…

"You guessed right…" I smiled sadly, as her words had highlighted the reality of _who I was_ …

"Are you alright?" She assessed my sudden somber state with concern

"Yes…I just remembered something, but it is not important" I said lightly, giving her no reason to doubt my words

"Well, I'm ready" She let me know animatedly, looking bigger than she was with all the things she carried on her "Shall we go?" Her bright face made me smile genuinely

"Yeah…let's go" But it was not enough to fade away the hasty sense of sadness that her unintentional words arose in me, reminding me that I was a cold creature with no heart, unable to love, and even more devastating, unable to love her.


	33. Chapter 33

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hellooo! Here it is, a new LONG chapter for you :D and I hope it helps to overcome the events of the last chapter. I know it was a bitter chapter for some of you and I'm sorry for that. I'll keep the chit chat short...go and read!

 **CHAPTER XXXIII (Piper's POV)**

The morning brought with it a new day full of adventures and a revived spirit after the events of the previous day. Hard as it was, I tried by all means to forget the fact that she had not reciprocated my feelings. She had told me beautiful words that should have made me the happiest person in the world, but her speech only made me feel miserable. I felt more exposed than ever; I had come to think that she loved me, that's why I felt an overwhelming desire to cry when I did not get the same response from her; I realized how foolish it had been to think that she could feel the same way, since then, it was pretty clear in my mind that I was not good enough for her because, how could I expect _that_ perfect being to feel for me what I felt for her? Perhaps, I would have to settle for whatever she gave me, which was already more than enough to make me feel fully blissful. And on second thought…why did it matter if she did not love me back? That did not make a difference in how she made me feel, and after all, I could not doubt that she truly cared about me. She always looked at me with tenderness and treated me kindly; she was always aware of my desires and needs; she made me happy, period...

Before leaving the room, she reminded me to bring the compass she had given me…

"You will be in charge of guiding us today…" She said, taking the compass to put it in a little pocket inside the hooded coat she lent me "Now we are ready to go" We passed by the kitchen first to get the bag with food that Red had prepared for us and then we headed to the stables. We arranged our mounts and again, the subject of my riding position came up…

"Since you are wearing pants, you should give it a try to sit properly on the saddle" She let the suggestion fall casually. The idea was actually tempting, so I considered it before getting on the horse. She was already on her black stallion, looking at me with a humorous face from her impetuous height "You are thinking about it, right?" Sometimes her ability to read my inner motives turned out to be quite irritating…without saying a word, in a quick and agile jump, I climbed on _Charm,_ straddling the horse _properly_ , as she had suggested. The change of posture was instantly rewarding; I felt more control over the animal and somehow the new position made me feel powerful… _She was right…_ I admitted to myself "And?" She asked with a smug connotation

"It's alright…" I replied indifferently, not wanting to acknowledge that she was right. She squinted at me and with a cocky smile told me…

"You are a _terrible_ liar…" and with that she began the journey immediately

It was still considerably dark; the morning was icy and the humid air worsened the sensation of cold. I was grateful for the extra layers of clothing she recommended me to wear. We started following the main dirt road, riding at a steady pace further away from the castle, until the road disappeared. She came to a halt all at once…

"Something wrong?" I asked warily

"You are the one supposed to be leading the way…" She said

"But…I have no idea…" She chuckled a little at my response

"Well…pick a path…north, east, south, west…whatever you want…" I turned my head around assessing the surroundings…any direction I chose seemed the same to me

"Ammm…" I pondered "East?" I finally said unconvinced…

"Alright…now take a look at the compass and try to tell me where the East is…" I searched for the object inside the coat and brought it close to my face, since I couldn't discern almost anything in the dim light of the early morning. She approached me with her horse and reached for my hand "The compass must be in a straight plane…" She flattened my hand and placed the compass on it… "The next step is finding the north and place the compass properly, making the needle point to the N of the frame" I did what she said under her watchful eye "Very good…" She rewarded me "Now tell me…where the _East_ is"

"That way…" I pointed with my index finger, extending my arm in the air…

"Perfect…" She agreed with a big smile "Let's go…" We resumed our pace

"This people we are looking for…" I began talking after some seconds of silence "You said they are not fugitives…"

"They are not…"

"What are they doing in here?"

"They are lost…once you get into the Shadow Lands, is impossible to get out of it…at least not on your own" She snorted sarcastically in the end

"And how did they get into it in the first place?" I continued to feed the conversation with my questions

"There are many reasons why people decide to enter these lands…" I waited for her to be more elaborated "Most of them, are criminals of the neighboring kingdoms…" She began explaining in detail "They think they can flee from the punishment established by their laws and enter my lands knowing that nobody will come to catch them in here…a _terrible_ mistake because that way, it's me who captures them…" Her voice sounded threatening only by saying those words "Nevertheless, many of these people are badly judged on their kingdoms; they are charged with crimes they have not committed so they are left with no options…they come here risking their lives seeking for my forgiveness…"

"Your forgiveness?"

"I can see in their souls and tell if they are innocent or not…if they happen to be found not guilty by me, I grant them an irrevocable pardon, which allows them to return to their houses…" It was interesting to know that her job was not only about condemning the criminals, but also to help the innocent people

"And if they are found guilty?" I asked cautiously, fearing being too nosy, but I was truly interested to know more about how that place worked. In the High Lands, we knew so little about the Shadow Lands that for us its existence was nothing more than a myth…

"I take them to the Castle" She barely said

"And what happens to them?" My voice came out like a whisper, afraid to make the question, or afraid to hear the answer…

"It depends on their crimes…" That was a very inaccurate answer, but I did not dare to ask for more details. Nevertheless, I did not have to do so, since she began to elaborate further "You've seen the size of this place…there's a lot of work to do to keep it running. All labors depend mainly on criminals and according to the severity of their crimes, they are assigned a job…guards, masons, pig breeders, miners…the thing is that they all must serve a sentence one way or another" She said "For instance…the worst criminals are assigned to work in the mines for life"

"For life?" I asked appalled "They have no option to mend their mistakes?" It seemed a little extreme to me

"Their crimes are not mere mistakes Piper" She told looking at me sternly

"But…what kind of crime can be so serious to be condemned so harshly?" My mind couldn't grasp why anyone would deserve such punishment…

"Trust me…you don't want to know" She said bitterly. Maybe that was my problem, I had no idea of the magnitude of evil in some people, but the temptation to know was too great…

"What? Do you think I won't be able to stand it?" I delivered a little conceited. She turned her face in my direction and smiled warmly at me

"No…it's not that…you are tougher than I give you credit for…" And again, she faced forward to focus her attention on the road "I just think it's not worth it to spoil your pristine mind with such subjects…I wish _I_ did not know about it" She assumed a somber tone and her eyes seemed lost in the dead forest ahead of us "I've seen within their souls and the things I've witnessed would cause me nightmares if I was able to sleep, and still they haunt me all the time; it's not something I've gotten used to, not even after so many years…I have just had to learn to deal with those images" Sorrow was noticeable in her face, and I felt sorry for being the one that gave rise to that grave conversation

"I'm sorry" I muttered sadly

"Why would you be sorry? It's not your fault" She turned her head to me again and smirked lightheartedly

"I'm sorry you have to see those things" I regretted deeply

"Not everything is bad…I can also get to see wonderful things" The darkness of the morning had already faded, so I could see her clear eyes on me shining despite the cloudy conditions

"Like what?" I sensed she was trying to give it a positive side to the conversation, so I inquired further, encouraging her to go on

"Like your soul…"

"My soul?" I laughed in disbelief

"I swear…is the most refreshing thing I've ever seen" She continued humorous "I have found not even the slightest trace of evil in it" She made her horse stop, and I did the same. She stared at me with an enigmatic gesture full of awe "You possess the purest soul, and it dazzles me very time I see you in the eyes" Her look was so intimate that it made me feel naked despite the thick layers I was wearing, but for the first time, it did not make me experience the habitual sense of self-consciousness or embarrassment… "What about a break? We could stop for a moment and have breakfast…" She proposed and I was still so dumbfounded by her gaze that I simply nodded

She got off the horse very swiftly and came to my side to help me get off _Charm._ Even though I did not need her help, I thanked the gesture to get rewarded by the closeness of her body. She raised her arms and grasped her hands firmly around my waist; she pulled me effortlessly while I leaned on her shoulders with my hands, letting myself fall with her assistance. As soon as my feet touched the ground, she took me by surprise pressing her lips on mine with spontaneous passion, clinging her hands to my waist with rashness. Despite enjoying the fervent exchange, I was taken aback by the intensity of it. I felt myself fainting, like the fog that faded gradually as the morning prolonged. Her tongue trespassed the fasten of my lips and she released a sound capable of making my heart stop when our tongues greeted each other; a long murmur that made my chest resonate with its low tremor. I was already out of breath and I had to hang to her shoulders as I felt my legs feeble, while I continued to receive gladly her incessant thrust into my mouth. She licked my upper lip, tracing its edge with the tip of her tongue and sealed the moment with a last slight peck to withdrew her lips away from me, although our bodies remained locked thanks to the inescapably grip we hold on each other...I opened my eyes heavily stunned; her face did not help me regain my senses. Her half iniquitous smile and her shadowy eyes affected me as much as the kiss itself…

"Let's see what Red got us for breakfast" She chimed in adopting a humorous attitude. She took the bag attached to one side of her horse, taking a blanket out of it "I know this place is not as suitable for a picnic as the one I took you the other day…" Definitely, it was not "And I apologize for it" She ended up spreading the blanket on the wet earth, on a small patch of dirt free of roots and overshadowed by the dead trees around. She came to me again and grabbed my hand inviting me to take a sit. She dropped down next to me crossing her legs and I immediately forgot about our austere surroundings, realizing that I did not give a damn about the background as long as she was the central piece. She arranged the contents carefully on cloth napkins…there was a variety of small snacks of cheese, ham, marmalade, and a leather container with tea that still kept the warmth greatly. I grabbed the warm container with my hands and took a big gulp, letting the liquid heat my interior…

"Mhmmm…" The feeling was gratifying

"Drink more, you must stay warm…it's quite cold today" She pointed out, and since she did not need to keep herself warm, I heeded her advice and ended up by drinking the whole pot

"How long do these rounds take?" I asked her casually, while taking a small cheese sandwich. She laughed softly

"Don't tell me you are tired already…" She exclaimed amused

"No, I'm not _tired…_ I'm just curious" I defended myself from her assumption

"I always try to make good use of the day and cover everything I can, that's why I like to start very early…as how many hours the rounds can take, I don't have a stipulated time" I almost got worried; I did not want to end by telling her at some point that I was tired and that I wanted to go back, but she appeased my concern before it took place "But don't worry, I do not intend to exhaust you today…well…at least not doing rounds" She corrected herself in the end with a hint of wickedness and I could not help but feeling that she had just uttered a joke that I had not understood. I watched her with suspicion and she winked at me playfully with a knowing smile. After warming my body with tea and filling my stomach with some food, we began again our journey

"I cannot help but notice…" There was some trace of hilarity in her as she spoke "You are still straddling the horse…" I rolled my eyes a little annoyed…how much she liked to feed her pride with little arguments. I kept quiet, intentionally "Surely you are much more comfortable…" I did my best to avoid looking at her, but I could still imagine her arrogant smile plastered on her face. I knew she was only hoping that I would recognize that she was right, but under no circumstances would I give in… "You never told me…" She said out of the blue after a while, perhaps for the lack of words on my part "Why you tried to escape…?" It was a subject I thought she had forgotten, at least I had. The memory seemed distant, as of another time…of another life that was not mine. How many things had changed since then, I pondered…

"You are right…I never did" I felt I had a debt pending with her, since I never explained her my reasons. Nevertheless, I still could not see myself able to tell her the truth. I sighed deeply, thinking about telling her

"So?" She inquired

"I don't know if I'm ready to tell you" At that point, it was not because I was ashamed to tell her what had happened; actually, I was thinking more about how she would react and if Sylvie would have to pay for the consequences. I looked at her guardedly, afraid she would take my reticence to tell her the truth like the last time; I remembered her sad expression when she realized that I did not fully trust her, a long time ago it seemed…but she did not seem to take it personally then…

"It's alright…" She said offhandedly "But one day…I want to know about it…" She made me promise

"One day you will" I guaranteed; _that_ I owed her…

We rode for hours through the woods, at a rather slow pace due to the tangles of branches and roots, highly treacherous for the horses. In some stretches, we had to get off the horses, to lessen the burden on them…In those lengths she took me astride on her back. At first I refused when she offered to carry me, but after stumbling over some roots, she did not accept my refusal. I had my legs around her hips, and my arms firmly attached to her shoulders…

"Are you sure you are alright carrying me?" I asked worried in case she was carrying too much weight…although she seemed to be making no effort at all

"For the hundredth time…" She said exasperated "I'm perfectly fine…"

"Yes but…" I was going to start complaining about how unnecessary was that she carried me…

"Shhhhhh…" She silenced me and stopped abruptly "I heard something" I shut my mouth and listened attentively…the silence was actually disturbing, so I had no idea what she had heard

"What is it?" I had to ask with hushed voice after too much silence…

" _Shhhh_ …It's getting closer, you will hear it…" What the hell was getting closer? I thought with dread. After a minute or so, I could barely hear the sound of some branches breaking and what I thought was someone panting repeatedly asking for _Help?…_ "Stay very close to me…" She said with great gravity as she motioned me patting my thighs to get off of her. She kept me behind her, surrounding my waist with her left arm, in a protective manner, as the noise became increasingly noticeable. I looked ahead over her shoulder, to the source of the sound, and no doubt, it was someone who seemed to be trying to run through the twirling branches, falling repeatedly while crying for help, until my eyes could notice the figure of the man, some meters in front of us. I felt her left arm tighten around my waist as the man approached; he had not yet perceived our presence… "Stop right there!" Her abrupt growl startled me. Despite her intimidating voice full with authority, the man did not stop…

"Help…please…" He tried to run faster towards us, but stumbled clumsily…he seemed so tired that failed to get up, so he began to crawl…

"I told you to stop!" She repeated in a terrifying voice

"It's going to catch me…" The man…or should I say, the young man, pleaded. Already very close to us, I could see his face full of terror…he had been obviously running away from _something._ She pushed me back softly, to get me away from the young man who did not seem to attend to reasons, and went to stop him with her foot on his back, imprisoning him harshly against the ground

"Easy there boy!" She delivered threatening "Nothing is going to catch you…so calm down and listen to me" Her voice sounded less rough but just as terrifying "I'll take my foot off of you…but don't you dare to go near _her_ …do you understand?" The poor lad could barely burble a muted _yes…_ and then she withdrew her foot keeping her word; he turned up, to lie on his back short of breath "Do you know who I am?" She asked him from above after allowing him to catch some air, but she did not wait for his answer "I'm the _Warden…_ so forget about whatever was after you…it is me that you must fear more than anything…" The boy opened his eyes with renewed terror "What's your name boy?"

" _Baxter…_ " He cried. I felt real pity for the young man in that moment

"Baxter…" She repeated his name "You'd better tell me what you are doing on my territory"

"It was an accident…I did not want to do it…I swear!" He began to cry disconsolately. She crouched down beside him and he covered his face protectively with his shaking hands, fearing her closeness

"It's alright Baxter" Her voice suddenly changed to a softer and reassuring one "If you are innocent, then you have nothing to fear…I need you to look me in the eye" She said mesmerizingly. The lad uncovered his face as hypnotized and did as she had said. She locked her eyes intently with him, observing his soul "I believe you…" She whispered soothingly and the young man seemed instantaneously peaceful. She gave him a reassuring smile and got up "Come on…you don't deserve to be here" He was innocent, I realized and felt a great relief. She turned her eyes to me while the boy came out of the shock, and walked towards me…my heart could not be more swollen with the love I felt for her right then "Are you alright?" She asked me, maybe thinking that the whole situation had caused me uneasiness "I'm sorry if you got scared" She tenderly told me caressing my cheek lovingly

"I'm not the one who got scared…" I smiled "Don't you think you've been a little rough with the poor guy?"

"Nah…he'll be fine…" She said with humorous disdain "Now listen to me…" The importance of her words made me cautious "I must show him the way out…I can't bring you with me because I can't take two people at the same time" I did not like what she seemed to be suggesting

"Alright…" If until then I had not found the forest terrorizing, it was only because I was with her…

"I need you to stay right here…it will be only a moment…twenty seconds at most" She must have seen the worry on my face "I'll be back with you in the blink of an eye…you stay here with the horses and I promise nothing bad will happen to you, I would not leave you if I thought you would not be safe" Of course her words meant everything to me, and although I was not thrilled by the idea of being left alone in the woods, her words reassured me "Or if you want to, I can take you home first…" She began to suggest…

"No…that's not necessary…I'll wait here, I'll be fine" I tried to sound very brave

"Very good…" She gave me a short but intense kiss "I'll be right back…" She promised again and walked back to the boy who had already gotten on his feet "Here you go Baxter…" She gave him a rolled up paper that she took out of nowhere

"What is this?" He took it with mistrust

"Your pardon…no one will ever judge you for your mistake" She explained him "Now let's go, I will show you the way out of here" She gave me one last look, winking her eye and disappeared with the boy…

I counted the seconds with dread, looking around me apprehensively and consoling myself with the company of our horses… _eleven, twelve…sixteen…_

"A beautiful girl like you should not be wandering through this forest all by herself" I did not know where the voice came from. I turned around, looking frantically for the owner of it unsuccessfully "I gotcha!" The voice was suddenly on my ear making me scream like an idiot, despite knowing to whom that unmistakable voice belonged…I turned around startled and slightly annoyed to find her chuckling amused by my reaction

"You scared me!" I gave her a light slap on her arm, which only accentuated her immodest laughter "It's not funny" I reproached her

"Pardon me my Lady" She bowed mockingly "Nothing was further from my intentions than to scare you" She feigned repentance and resuming a serious tone she approached me "I can think of several ways to amend my offense towards you" She circled ever so slowly my hips, posing her hands very calculatingly on my buttocks. I had already forgotten why I had been angry

"Is that so?" My voice came out as a deep sigh. She nodded slowly

"I think the rounds have been quite productive, maybe we can call it for today"

"And I think that's a great idea" It had been a fun day, but I wanted to get home as soon as possible

"We'd better get going, the way back is long" She informed me "We will turn to the south to follow an easier road, so we should be back faster than we got here" Her words, as always, encouraged me hugely. She carried me for another long track, until we were able to ride our mounts

"Alex…" I called her attention at some point. I had something etched in my mind from when we had found the lost young man

"Yes?"

"The young man said… _it's going to catch me…_ what was he referring to?"

"There are many things in these woods…even though it seems devoid of all forms of life" I remembered Red's words the time we had gone to the market and I had asked if those forests sheltered life

"What kind of _things_?" _It has more life than you can think of, mostly terrifying beings, but life at last…_ Red had said

"Beasts…monsters…creatures that only belong to the darkness and they are to serve me…" A shudder ran through my body "Whatever was chasing that boy, it just wanted to bring him to me...they chase anyone that does not belong to these lands"

"Uh…" I just muttered not knowing what else to say and looking around fearing that some of those monsters would appear out of nowhere

"Don't worry...they would never dare to come close to you..." She guaranteed, noticing my sudden alert state. Around noon we made a quick stop for lunch…

"We better get going…we still have a long way to go and it may start to rain later" She predicted, I don't know how, since it was as cloudy as usual

After crossing an extensive dense area full of trees, finally we reached a point where it seemed possible to ride faster. At some point, I thought we were never going to arrive, until I could glimpse from afar the great towers of the imposing castle. We were approaching the castle from the southern side, until then unknown to me. It was clearer since trees were scarcer in that area…

"We must hurry a little…it's starting to rain" She said before I could notice the heavy drops falling "Come on" We forced the horses to resume a hurried pace. It was invigorating, the horse trotting and the smell of the rain…in that moment, I even enjoyed the cold air. I wanted to ride at full speed to warm myself up

"A race to the stables?" I proposed cheerfully

"I really don't think that's a good idea with the dampened earth…" She did not approve my suggestion, and I did not care about it

 _"_ _One…two…three!_ " I counted while clinging tightly to the reins and pressed the sides of _Charm_ with my heels; in an instant, we started to run at full speed making me laugh like never…

"Piper!" I heard her calling my name from behind, with a reproachful tone, but I did not want to stop

I felt free and happy doing so many improper things at the same time… I was not wearing a corset, I wore men's clothing and I was straddling the horse like one, recklessly in the middle of the rain; for once in my life, I did not think about the consequences of my actions… _Piper!..._ I was leaving her voice far behind and I could only smile to know I was winning…when I got to the stables, I was short of breath as never before, and with a victorious smile, I waited for her to arrive…I was so buoyant, that I did not even care when I saw her stern gesture; obviously, as expected, she would be furious with me…

"I came to think that you would never come" I said and dismounted the horse next "It took you a _looong_ time to get here" Her severe face, for a teeny tiny moment made me regret my actions…her anger was the consequence I did not think about

"Do you think that what you just did is funny?" She said harshly and jumped off her mount with great dexterity

"Well…obviously, it was not funny for you…" In spite of feeling some fear at her reaction, I was not going to lose my spirits "I would not think it funny to _lose_ either"

"To lose?"

"The race _I won_ …" I clarified and she began walking very slowly towards me

" _First_ of all… what you did was completely thoughtless and irresponsible, you don't know the terrain to ride so fast, you could have hurt yourself" Without being aware of, I began to retreat before her relentless advance, walking backwards " _Secondly_ …there was no race because I did not agree to such a thing…you _won_ because you were the only one taking part on the race…" My back hit the boards of the enclosures of the stable, leaving me completely at the mercy of her approach "And _thirdly_ …" She had already reached me and her face was quite close to mine. She made a long pause thinking of something with serious gesture. Her dark gaze and her wild hair ever so blackened from the rain, with drops of water running down the harsh lines of her face only helped to emphasize her hard expression, making her appear more fearsome than ever.

"Yes?" I dared to chime in sardonically after some seconds, knowing she had run out of arguments. My smile spread widely despite her serious face

"Don't look so smug…you are out of trouble only because you were lucky and nothing happened" She had still a sullen face, but the bright shift in her eyes made me know that I was already forgiven

"Nothing happened because I am an excellent rider…that's why I won…" She would have to recognize it

"You only won because you were riding the horse properly" And there it was…

"Aha!" I exclaimed victorious "So you admit it! I won!"

"You cheated…" She snorted out

"Excuse me?"

"You started before me; that gave you a fair lead" What an invalid argument she had gave me, I had counted up to three

"You are such a sore loser…just looking for excuses to dismiss my victory" Of course she did not like to lose

"I demand a rematch…" She said with gravity

"I'll accept the rematch, only when you accept that I won today" I retorted tenaciously. She narrowed her eyes thinking about it

"Alright…" I almost shout from the excitement but she continued with the demands "But only if you recognize that I was right about how straddling the horse is the _only right way_ to ride…and how that was greatly favorable for you to achieve the victory…" _Damn it!_ she was right…I had never been able to ride so fast and so in control…

" _Aaaargghh_ …fine!" Then she was the one who wore the victorious smug smile

"I want to hear you saying it…"

"You were right…it was much more comfortable and I could ride faster" I said with boring tone, but the second part I said it more genuinely "And…I felt wonderfully having more control over the horse, it made me feel somehow… _powerful_ …happy?"

"Very happy…" She said and I knew she was happy not only because I had tell her that she was right, but because I was also happy

"Now it's your turn…" I reminded her

"Congratulations for your victory, you are an excellent rider…" She rolled her eyes excessively though her words were sincere

"Thank you…" I said pleasingly, feeling suddenly proud

"You know…" She got closer, pressing our fronts with intent and dropped her raspy voice delectably "If you felt so good straddling the saddle like you did, I happen to know other thing that you can _ride_ in that position and that'll make you feel unquestionably _very_ powerful" She wiggled her perfect eyebrows and a wicked smirk was beautifully drawn on her lips. She had caught my attention; I was beginning to learn how to read her gestures, and although I did not understand her words, it was not difficult to suppose that surely it was related to _those things..._

"And what is that thing I can ride?" I asked with great curiosity; I definitely wanted to know

" _Me…"_ She whispered very close to my face. I couldn't imagine how _that_ could be done…before I could ask I felt my feet in the air. She had hooked my legs from behind my knees, forcing me to circle her waist with them. She pressed her body fervently on my core, holding me against the wooden tables; I had to wrap her shoulders with my arms for support "Do you want me to show you?" She asked me staring into my eyes

"Yes…" I affirmed inhibited. My back was no longer against the hard wooden tables of the stable, but posed placidly on the soft surface of her bed, _our_ bed. How convenient was that ability of her to move from one place to another in just a second…

"And _thirdly_ …" She raised herself on her knees, _straddling_ me, making me think of her recent words "You look absolutely stunning all wet from the rain" Her fingers began to work to remove the extra layers of clothing I had on me, damped by the rain…after a moment of flurry, my own hands joined the quest. After stripping me of her thick hooded coat and my own, she gently pulled the leather gloves…I was beginning to feel cold "Wait right here…" She said imposingly. She went to the fireplace and added some dry wood into it, and started to light the fire, always thinking of my comfort. Then she went to the bathroom and I felt I couldn't wait for another second, but she returned to me very quickly "Sorry…it was imperative to wash my hands…where were we?" She purred, causing the flutter of thousands of butterflies in my stomach. Again, she got on her knees, but that time, she positioned herself between my legs, forcing them apart. She lifted my right leg, by the ankle, and began to untie the chords of the boot…once loosened, she took it off and repeated the action with my other leg. Her hands then traveled up, to unfasten the belt that held my pants securely around my waist to leave them loose, but did not take them off, just like the blouse "Are you cold?"

"Just…a little…" I couldn't deny I was feeling a little chilly

"Then let's warm you up" Very slowly, she laid her body over me. I did not know how was it that her closeness will make me warm, but at that moment I embraced her cold. Chilly and wet strands of hair fell over my face as she got closer to me. I could not wait for her to finish shortening the distance, so I lifted my upper body to stamp my lips against hers. My insides burned with desire, a simple kiss of hers was enough to make me warm, making me forget completely about the cold "I _crave_ you…" She panted heavily against my lips and retired a little to observe me from above "More than I need anything else in the world…" Her mischievous smile became one full of affection. At moments like that, it was hard for me to believe that she did not love me…because _craving_ was not the same as _loving…_ but the way she had said it spoke louder than her own words

"I _crave_ you too…" Even so, I returned the same words with a loving smile, although I wanted to say other declaration, but I refrained myself from saying _that_ word again. I drew her back to me by hooking her neck with my right hand. In the middle of our zealous kiss, she turned us around, reversing our positions, so that I was on top of her. She slid her hands under my blouse, to caress fervently the lower part of my back and in a sudden shift she sat, holding me very close to her with her hands pressed firmly on my back. The change of position had caused our lips to break apart…

"You are _perfect_ …" She said hoarsely looking my eyes intently "I could have dreamed you…and I could have never been able of imagining someone as faultless like you" She lowered her face, nuzzling my neck down to my cleavage, to untie the laces of the top of the blouse with her teeth. I buried my fingers in her dampened hair, digging my nails in her scalp, my mouth already unable to stop the sounds coming from the back of my throat intertwined with my ragged breathing. Her hands held me tightly by my hips and she began to force them to move rhythmically, _back_ and _forth…back_ and _forth…_ like _riding…_ and little by little, my hips took over the pace by themselves "Mhmmm…you are doing marvelously…" She told me with rough tenderness. Her left hand continued to accompany me in the movement, while her right hand went to meddle in the front of my pants, slipping stealthily under my men's underwear, that were also somewhat loose, a little too big for me. I hissed heavily when I sensed her cold hand cupping my center, causing my hips to stop right away and lift my whole body on my knees, leaving my chest right in front of her face, in an involuntary attempt to seek further contact with her. She laughed quietly " _So responsive_ …" and with her left hand still on my hip, she forced me down, to pose my buttocks again on her upper thighs, and encouraged me to resume the swinging movement. Her right hand on my core joined the cadence of my hips, stroking delightfully the _center of my pleasure…_ as she had called it in a previous lesson. I began to evoke all kinds of sounds as her hand invited me to go faster; I clung with great intensity to her shoulders and pressed my forehead against hers. Very soon I felt near the abyss, ready to jump; my body shuddered in advance to know what was about to happen, I could feel it already close to burst within me; I was about to capture her lips with my mouth but she prevented me from doing so "Uh uh…" She murmured delaying the moment "Not yet…" And her hand came painfully to a halt making me grunt from despair "Look me in the eye" I opened my eyes with great effort, feeling my eyelids heavier than ever. I fixated my gaze on her "Don't look away…" I could not do it even if I wanted; my eyes were already easy prey to her mesmerizing darkened eyes and with our foreheads together, I could almost feel myself falling into her dark gaze. Her hand moved again providentially, and began to enter in me softly but inexorably…I felt the pleasant soreness filling me to the utmost and from her parted lips came out a low rumble when she was inside me " _Ride me…_ " She commanded with a hazardous voice that made my stomach contract with fear and excitement.

My primal instinct seemed to understand what she had meant by that, so I began to move my hips again as she had just taught me. The simple movement made me feel her deeper than ever, although at first I assumed a slow pace, getting used to the new sensation, which at times was to some extent painful. Maybe she noticed my discomfort, even when it was the slightest "Are you alright?" She asked with concern to what I nodded dazed "You sure?" I was not able to deliver words at that time. My hands on the back of her neck caught her face firmly and drew her to me, assuring her with a kiss that everything was beyond perfect…her lips revived my desire, like dry wood thrown into the flames. They drove me to make the shift of my hips more prominent… _Back and forth…back and forth…up and down…up and down…_ I had found a tempo on my own and she followed me thrilled, intensifying the stir of her fingers into me. I was fighting for air, so I had to break the obsessive rendezvous of our lips, inhaling as much air as I could, inhaling her heavy panting whose cold brought some sanity to my mind. I kept a steady pulse but the hand attached to my hip only encouraged me to increase it after a while, until I felt my hips breaking the tempo… _back…up…forth…down…_ I was no longer able to maintain a consistent rhythm. I felt aboard a boat in the middle of a brave sea, swinging from side to side disorderly…a boat on the edge of the abyss, a boat about to fall…

The tremendous quivering emanating from within me took me completely by surprise, not because it was unexpected, but because the intensity was unprecedented. I arched my back pulling my head back to let out a guttural cry from the depths of my being, as if my intention was to be heard by the heavens. Above my moans, I heard a husky sound resembling laughter, not her usual velvety chuckle. After a few moments of bafflement letting go of that feeling that did not allow me to focus on anything else, I lowered my face to look at her; her gestures were contorted into a grimace that could be of pain or amusement, I could not tell. Her eyes were thrillingly dark and a deep crease was carved in the middle of her eyebrows, however, her lips showed a roguish smile, those that made my heart beat like crazy, leaving her perfect white teeth half exposed…

"How powerful do you feel now?" She inquired impishly with croaky voice. The truth, I had never felt so in control in my life, because, although she guided me through the whole thing, I was the one in charge of setting the pace, and she was only there willing to meet my demands, increasing the thrust of her hand only to match my pace…

"Extraordinarily…" Even better when I could still feel her inside…Her eyes seemed to clear up little by little, recovering their lovely green. I leaned towards her to kiss her with great affection, and she received me gladly. From my position, I could feel myself still in command of the situation; she had awakened in me a new yearning, a feeling as ancient as hunger…I let it take over me, leaving aside my thinking. I pushed my tongue blatantly into her mouth, and brought her face impossibly closer to me, always dissatisfied because no matter how close we were, it never seemed close enough to me…very slowly, she withdrew her hand from within me, making me whimper for the loss. She began to suck my tongue lusciously as her hands traveled to my lower back and descended measurably, getting under the pants to seize my buttocks with her wide hands…squeezing them scrumptiously. It made me want to devour her fleshy lips and other parts of her body. I felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her everywhere and get to know her body as she knew mine by then. My hands clutched the neck of her shirt thinking about how it would feel to touch and to travel everything under her garments with my tongue…to do to her everything she did to me…

"Mhmmm…want another ride?" She said roguishly against my lips

"No…I…I…" I panted for air... "I want to..." How could I let her know what was going through my mind? "I want to…to _kiss_ you…" I said with great significance looking straight into her eyes, hoping that she would capture my inner intentions…

"Uh!...I would swear that's what we are doing" She furrowed her eyes comically

"No…I…meant…" I remembered how she had call it and allowed my yearnings be the ones who spoke "I want to...to…" _Say it Piper...say it!..._ I tried to stand firm in my resolve, staring into her eyes, but I could not deliver the words doing so… " _Go down on you…"_ I said in a mere sigh closing my eyes, missing her reaction, while my face burned madly out of shame for what I had just said…

P.S: Don't hate me XD


	34. Chapter 34

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** BOY!I think it's safe to say that this is the longest chapter so far...My eyes could not believe the number of words LOL, so...SURPRISE! I know things have been a little slow lately regarding the plot development, but it is because I've been too focused on the evolution of their relationship. I'm working on new plots and studying how to introduce them slowly into the story, which you will be reading about it very soon. As always, I hope you enjoy it and your comments are highly appreciated! You already know how open I am to accept criticisms, as long as they are constructive ;) Thank you so much for reading.

 **CHAPTER XXXIV (Alex's POV)**

Her inexperience could be easily forgotten by how quickly she learned. She moved her hips at a perfect sensual pace, as if she had been born for it. It never ceased to amaze me how she always seemed so eager to commit to anything I proposed her; she could simply refuse, since I would never have forced her into something she did not want to do, but she always agreed enthusiastically; a clear sign of the trust she had in me, and it moved me deeply to be aware of that fact. At some point I even stopped guiding her in the movements with my left hand, leaving her totally in command of setting her rhythm, although I kept a hand merged to her hip while my other one cupped her center with my middle and ring fingers stroking her insides relentlessly, pressing hard on the velvety spot on her front wall; her bountiful arousal was beginning to gather in my palm delectably and the sounds of pleasure coming out from her mouth could be considered as impudent; she moved her hips forward ever so hussy, searching for better contact against the heel of my hand. I felt her insides contracting tightly around the fingers I kept curling within her marvelous warmth and I knew she was about to break apart. I was so mesmerized by her that I did not even think about what I would feel, about the horrible sensation she always caused in me. My fingers hit her insides with more force causing her hips to go astray, completely loosing the beat of her wonderful performance and suddenly the culmination hit her; the vocal demonstration of her orgasm had been so spectacular that made me forget about the pain seizing my whole body, I could even say that I enjoyed it that time; I embraced the pain as well as the image of her coming above me. She tilted her head back, arching her whole body and screaming a heavenly moan that I would remember until my death. I laughed with pleasure only at seeing her, totally stunned by her. Her interior fluttered wildly trapping my fingers, which did not stop the stirring movement, taking everything out of her with every stroke, accompanying her on her fall.

The pain within me was intense as always, but I noticed that it had been quite endurable; no doubt I recovered quickly from the blow and the sense of feebleness was not so noticeable. After a long minute or more, she seemed to return from the seventh heaven. Her drowned breathing becoming more and more stable and her crazed heart recovering its sanity…she lowered her face to look at me with her beautifully darkened blue eyes so full of lust and her cheeks flushed extremely

"How powerful do you feel now?" I asked her amused

"Extraordinarily" She answered with a deep voice I had never heard coming from her. I was already more than familiarized with her gestures of audacity, but her face then showed a hint of daring enormously appealing to me, and something about her gaze was different. I wanted to kiss her more than anything, but before I could start the kiss, she had already found my lips. Apparently, not only her gaze was full of impudence, since her tongue invaded my mouth with great impetus. I let her take the reins for a moment, enjoying her forwardness like nothing else in the world. She caught my face firmly and kissed me brashly with all her might; I felt a desperate desire to feel her closer. I did not want to miss the feeling of being inside of her, but I was encouraged by the fact that I was probably going to return to my personal paradise in a few minutes, _perhaps with my tongue…_ I pondered, already deciding how I would take her for the second time that evening; the simple thought was enough to make me remove my fingers from her very swiftly, since her inner muscles seemed unwilling to let me go. She whined sweetly in protest and I appeased her disappointment distracting her by giving kind attentions to her mouth. I captured her soft tongue with my lips, as if it were a sacred delicacy, so she could no longer complain about losing my fingers. My hands found a destiny on their own and slid under the back of her pants to hold her silky butt cheeks… _she has such a nice ass…_ I thought, thinking about how I had not yet been able to explore that specific area of hers. My mouth watered to think of my lips and tongue traveling along its smooth curvature; but for the time being, my hands were the only lucky ones that had full access, so they seized the opportunity and began worshipping her bum kneading it firmly but benevolently; her response was immediate. She took the control over the kiss again more heated, almost aggressively and pulled me strongly from the edges of my blouse, _demanding_ more from me…

"Mhmmm…want another ride?" I said with effort, since it was quite difficult to free my lips to speak…

"No…I…I…I want to..." She stuttered, short of breath or maybe short of words "I want to…to _kiss_ you…" She finally said staring at me with a weird expression, as if she had just told me something of vital importance

"Uh!...I would swear that's what we are doing" At least few seconds ago we were…

"No…I…meant…" I sensed that she was about to tell me something big since her nervousness was pretty palpable in the air "I want to...to…" She stumbled again, although I could tell she was trying really hard to say whatever she was going to say with determination; in the end, her resolve broke and she closed her eyes timidly, however her mouth did not fail to deliver the words " _Go down on you…_ " She said in a puff of air, almost unheard. I had never experienced the sensation of thirst throughout my second form of life; after taking some seconds to scrutinize what she had just said my mouth dried up and I felt the copious need of drinking a large glass of water. That had taken me aback enormously; she was a container full of surprises indeed…I had already resolved that at some point I would have to give myself pleasure, or maybe, when she had learned a little more, I would have to give her a very tactful allusion, and wait for her to pick up the hint. What I did not expect at all was her being the one to propose it. My insides contracted with the image of her going down on me, with her face buried between my legs… _Arrrghhhh_ …right then I was so aroused that it hurt "I don't…I don't know if…" She said after a while, still with her eyes closed "If that's _alright_ …" The lack of confidence was patent in her voice; maybe she had taken my silence as unwillingness on my part, nothing farther from the truth…I had to swallow hard and clear my throat to speak. I brought my hands from behind her to grasp her face tenderly

"That's…actually beyond alright" I told her caressing her cheeks with my thumbs, as if wiping away the shame from them. My words and my touch appeased her immediately; a shy beam appeared on her lips and she looked up to amaze me with her azure eyes still tinted with insecurity…

"It is?" She wondered and I nodded smiling at her in assurance "And…" She trailed off and there it was again, her charming bashfulness taking place; the flush on her face and her inability to keep her gaze committed with mine "Will you…teach me…how to?"

"You know…" I began telling her, which made her look at me again "You would be surprised to learn that it's really more about following your instincts than following my directions…" She raised her eyebrows attentive to my lesson while I resumed the caress of my hands going down and up along her sides "Just a moment ago, you seemed very sure of what you were doing" Her way of kissing me had been firm and unrestrained, and then I understood why…while kissing me, she had been thinking about _going down on me_ … "So trust me…it'll be best if you don't think about anything at all, and let your instincts act" My hands trapped her waist and I brought her closer to kiss her briefly with untold fondness "Now, I must ask you…are you sure you want to do it?" I asked her gently after breaking our lips apart, making her furrow her eyebrows in bewilderment "I mean; I don't want you to feel _obligated_ …"

"Yeah…because you've been _forcing_ me to do really _terrible things_ lately…" She interrupted me with heavy sarcasm

" _Terrible things_ , uh?" I searched for her wrists and got her hands away from my neck to imprison them behind her back "And I have only shown you a very small part of the terrible things that I can do to you" I said with feigned severity, as a false threat. Her pupils dilated with excitement and a beautiful half smile was drawn on her lips. She tilted her upper body to me, trying to catch my lips but I dodged her, letting myself fall backwards to lie down on the bed and crossed my hands behind my head smugly. She kept her position on me, straddling my upper thighs "My clothes won't come off by themselves" I informed her jokingly, making her roll he eyes amusingly while she showed all of her teeth with an ample smile. Then she bit her lower lip assessing me from above, as if pondering what she would do next. Leisurely, she leaned down towards me, placing her hands on my chest for support; very slowly she placed her lips on mine, breathing intently with invigorated fervor and her hands clutching tightly the cloth of my blouse. My hands sought to touch her body slipping sneakily under her blouse to caress her tense abdomen until cupping her breasts, making her release a humid sigh into my mouth. I stroked her hardened nipples with the palm of my hands to soothe them and she began nibbling the rim of my lips slyly, enjoying every inch of them at her own speed; my insides growled thinking about her lips doing the same all over my body. I cheered her with my tongue to intensify the kiss, hoping she would soon start exploring down, but I felt her body growing tense and her lips turning frigid; I knew immediately something was wrong so I stopped the kiss and retrieved my hands from under her shirt to assess her face…

"I'm sorry" She muttered in a heavy breath before I could ask her what was wrong

"What is it?"

"I…I don't know…" She said with mortified gesture "I guess I'm a little nervous…"

"We don't have to do this if you don't feel ready" I said while my core screamed for attention

"But I…" She opened her eyes "I really want to" She told me with obstinate resolution "It's just…"

"What?" I inquired and she got her upper body up, sitting again on me, assessing me from above and began to talk after some seconds

"What if…I'm not able to make you feel…what you…make me feel" She said shyly; in other words, she was afraid of not being good enough, _how absurd!_ If she only knew the things she aroused in me only with a simple kiss. I propped myself up to bring our faces closer, supporting myself on my hands. She was looking down to the space between our chests waiting for me to speak. I took a deep breath inhaling her sweet essence heightened by the rain…

"I don't see how _that_ could be possible…" I told her with a tender smile although she was not watching me "You have no idea Piper…of the power you hold on me and…of the things you cause in me just by looking at me" I said with vast magnitude, but despite the heavy honesty of my words, her disquiet demeanor did not seem to be mollified by them "I'll tell you what…" I started to say in an appeasing tone "Why don't we forget about _this_ for the moment…" I said with difficulty, since my insides could not forget about the blazing necessity "And we ask to the service to bring us hot water, and we take a long soothing bath?" My left hand went to catch her braid that fell over her right shoulder. She raised her eyebrows at my suggestion "Then we can have dinner, maybe drink a few glasses of _wine_ …" I dropped the suggestion casually, knowing already the effect alcohol had in her. She finally raised her sight with suspicion clear on her face

"Are you planning to get me drunk?" She asked me humorous

"Nope…trust me, the last thing I would want is to get you drunk…I'm just saying" To leave her unaware of her actions because of alcohol was the last thing I wanted "Alcohol seems to have given you some courage in the past…" I slightly joked, remembering when she ventured to kiss me passionately in the hall outside her bedroom after drinking too much wine, and the night she got into the bathtub with me, and she had confessed that she had drunk a couple of gulps of spirits "Maybe it will help you not to think so much about… _this_ " She pondered my suggestion narrowing her eyes….

"Maybe…that could be helpful…" She agreed with a rascal smile somehow tinted by some coyness. I laughed forcefully by her response. I grabbed her face hastily and kissed her vivaciously; although I felt somewhat frustrated by the excruciating need that grew inside of me, the plan for the night was promising, so maybe… _maybe…_ that night I would achieve what I had been longing for so many agonizing days…

"I'll have them bring the water right away…" I informed her after breaking the kiss "Don't you dare go anywhere…" I warned her after giving her another peck

"Believe me…there is no other place I want to be more than here" She told me not knowing that her words had made me the happiest creature in the world. She stayed in bed and I went very quickly to the kitchen.

"Where is the service staff?" I asked Red hastily. I was in a hurry, I did not want to lose a fucking second…she was so taken aback by my rashness that she did not even care to acknowledge me with her usual respectful greeting…

"They are in the common dining room…without Piper's company they don't dare to eat in my kitchen…"

"Thank you" I forced myself to tell her after being so rude with her…without delay, I showed myself on the common dining room. Everybody was astonished at my presence and I heard the crashing sound of plates against the floor; I think it was the first time I had walked on that place. I assessed their faces looking for a familiar one "You…" I said recognizing one of the girls of the service staff "Prepare the water for my bath…immediately!" I ordered and without further words I disappeared to find her right where I had left her

"That was fast" She pointed out a little surprised

"I did not want to miss a second without you" I said walking towards the bed "The water is on its way…" I offered her my hand inviting her to get out of the bed. She took it and sat on the edge, looking up at me

"Are the girls from the service coming?" She asked guardedly

"Who else was going to do it?" I noticed immediately the anxiety on her face "Is something wrong?"

"No…" She denied very quickly, but I knew better, I could see what her problem was

"Are you ashamed to be seen in here?" I asked her gently

"What?" She exclaimed and got up facing me "That's ridiculous…" Her high pitched tone warned me that I had hit exactly on the problem, even though she tried to deny it pitifully

"I think I told you already…you are a terrible liar" She sighed deeply with a repentant gesture

"It's not that I'm _ashamed_ …it's" She was trying to explain looking for words " _Nonsense…_ Forget about it" She finally said and lowered her sight

"You shouldn't be worried about what they think about you…" I told her knowing that that's precisely why she was so troubled "We are all that matters Pipes…you and me" I cupped her hot cheeks with my hands "But if you don't want them to see you…you can wait in the library" I offered her. I knew it was probably really hard for her to break those habits she had been taught since she was a little girl, so I was not offended that she felt a little embarrassed to be seen with me, moreover when everybody at that point knew already the things she was doing in my room.

"No I…I'll stay here" She resolved looking at me firmly "You are right…I should not care about what they think" I gave her a proud smile appreciating her efforts to leave her prejudices behind. However, she jumped slightly startled when we heard the service knocking on the door. I went to open the door and she turned and walked to the window to look out, in an attempt to go unnoticed…I opened the door to the frightened women

"My Lady…" They greeted me in unison and they all bowed awkwardly carrying the buckets of water

"Come in" They walked in and headed straight to the bathroom…I stood by the door waiting for them to leave. Very quickly, they were on their way out.

"By your leave My Lady…" They repeated the bowing

"Tell Red we will have dinner in an hour…" I informed them "One of you will be responsible for bringing our dinner…"

"As you wish My Lady" One said…I did not care to know her name. I dismissed them by closing the door…

"Saying _please_ or _thank you_ from time to time wouldn't kill you…" She said reproachfully turning to me

"Their job is to serve me…they are the ones who should be grateful for having the privilege…" I answered with great arrogance; no way was I going to tell a criminal _thank you_ or _please…_ By her face I could notice that she did not approve my way of thinking

"Maybe they are paying their penitence, but that does not give you the right to treat them as _slaves…_ "

"Right now, I don't feel like discussing _this_ topic…" I said severely walking closer to her "Because the image of you in the bathtub is the only thing that occupies my mind…" I grabbed her by her hips and dragged her very close to me causing her to giggle; I leaned towards her to kiss her but she stopped me by blocking my face with her hand

"You are not going to get away with it…you'll end up learning to say please and thank you…"

"Are you going to make me do that?" I lowered my voice to a menacing tone

"Yes, I'm going to" She said conceitedly

"Well…maybe…I'll be the one to make _you_ say please and thank you…" I said with devilry

"You don't have to…I've already been taught some manners…" She replied pompously, not grasping the true meaning of my words. Her naivety made me smile like an idiot "What?" She inquired defensively

"You are wonderful…" I simply said not able to stop smiling "The water is going to cool if we continue talking nonsense…so let's go" She narrowed her eyes with serious face; I knew what she wanted "Please?" I pleaded and her stern gesture mollified instantly

"Much better" She said victoriously. Actually I could not care less about diminish myself in front of her; I would beg her for anything she wanted…

I dragged her to the bathroom playfully, hugging her from behind, swirling around teasingly and touching parts of her body stealthily, causing her to shriek joyfully. I got serious when we got to the bathroom…facing each other, I grabbed her by the loosen waistband of her pants, hooking my fingers on it; she placed her hands over my shoulders and I knelt before her ever so slowly, as if surrendering.

"You are not going to ask me to close my eyes this time, are you?" I asked her roguishly raising my eyebrows teasingly, to what she shook her head in denial…

With my face humbly at the height of her center, I began pulling down her pants uncovering her undergarments leisurely, rolling them down to her ankles, to then repeat the same procedure with the cotton underpants; my shoulders served her as support to get her feet off the rolled down garments; the lower hem of the long shirt left behind the precious mound under her belly. I leaned pressing my nose against it causing her to tremble like a leaf and held her breathing in a gasp. I could smell her recent arousal through the fabric of the blouse. I looked up to meet her heavy eyes staring me from above; she caressed my cheek with her left hand and I got up to reach her height and very swiftly, I removed the last piece of clothing, leaving her flawlessly naked…her heart seemed in a hurry

"Your turn…" I indicated her to proceed to take off my clothes, encouraging her to get know my body. She did not kneel; instead, she decided to start by undressing my upper body first. Without breaking our gaze, her hands reached for the hem of my shirt, pulling it out from under the waist of my pants; I raised my hands to make it easier for her to take off my blouse…Instantly, I felt the warm humidity of the bathroom wrapping my naked torso. She dropped my shirt to the ground and her hands became lifeless at the end of her arms hanging to her sides; I noticed her eyes taking a quick look at my chest. I grabbed her inert hands and brought them to my chest with their palms to me, to place them softly on my breasts making her release the air contained in her lungs. The feeling of the warmth of her hands on my chest was too overwhelming and then she couldn't help but to fix her eyes on it as I began to guide her down my abdomen, to my waist, to stop at the edge of the pants, hinting her to go on. I smiled wickedly when her hands came back to life briskly, unfastening my belt; she got to her knees and the image caused my inners to flutter. She took off my boots first, and then stripped me off my pants in the blink of an eye with renewed boldness, although she seemed less adventurous when it was the turn to take off my underpants. She looked up at me, with her fingers under the waistband, asking for permission. I raised my eyebrows and smiled granting her the unnecessary consent and she resumed the purpose. I felt her warm breath hitting my core; she looked awestruck at my dark patch and it took all my strength to control the urge to bring her face closer to it… _She is so close…_ I thought feeling the raw need burning my entrails "Come on…" My voice came out with heaviness "The water is going to cool…" I offered her both hands to help her on her feet. She took them after some seconds of bewilderment and I dragged her up to me. After giving her an affectionate kiss, I got into the bathtub and she immediately followed me behind, but before she could settle herself straddling me like the other time, I told her "Turn around" She looked down at me puzzled

"What…How?"

"So that you can lay your back on me" I explained her and as always, she did as I said. When she turned around, I was awarded with the most wonderful sight of her buttocks, bending over to sit on me…when she was almost on me, I pulled her closer from her waist causing her a gasp of surprise; the movement caused the water to fall over the rim of the bathtub

"Alex!" She complained between laughs and I imprisoned her with my arms surrounding her waist strongly, _forcing_ her to rest her back on me

" _Mhmmm_ " I murmured against her ear placing my chin on her right shoulder "This feels wonderfully…" More so when I could feel her rear pressed against my lower belly and her back smoldering my front

"Yes it does…" She agreed lightheartedly "Although I think this bathtub is maybe a little too small for both of us"

"On the contrary, I think the size of it is perfect…" I refuted "Otherwise I could not have you all over me" I tightened the grasp of my arms around her torso and buried my nose behind her ear. She began to relax and let her head fall backwards, leaning on my left shoulder. She caressed my forearms, held securely against her ribs and we stayed like that for a long peaceful silence "Do you want me to wash your hair?" I asked her after a while, noticing that the water temperature had dropped a little; we'd better hurry up before the water cooled down

"Ammm… _sure…_ " She said unconvinced, maybe thinking it was weird for me to wash her hair, but she seemed delighted to receive those attentions from me. I undid her perfect braid and spread her hair with my fingers before proceeding to wash her gorgeous blond tresses. In the end I did more than just washing her hair since I ended up rubbing other parts of her body. I could feel the temperature of her body increasing delectably against my skin, as well as her breathing becoming more and more ragged, charged with arousal. I was delighted by how easy I was able to draw those reactions from her…If I continued like that, our second bath would end up like the first one, and that was not my intention at all, at least for the moment

" _Alright_ …I think we're done with the bath" I chimed in humorously when her breathing got loose while I massaged her back. I'd swear I heard a slight _Aw!_ of disappointment coming from her "Someone will come soon with our dinner…so we'd better get out and put on some clothes" I told her so that she would not think that I did not want to continue with our adoring moment

I got out of the bathtub first, to look for the thick cotton cloth to wrap her; the heat in the bathroom had dissipated noticeably, and I was worried that she would be cold. I returned to her spreading the towel, inviting her to come out of the water. As soon as she got up to her feet I wrapped her protectively and lent her my support to walk out of the tub. I helped her to dry her hair with a cotton cloth; we put on our robes and walked out to the room. Although she did not complain about being cold, I went to the fireplace to fan the flames and added more dry wood, to keep the room as warm as possible. We sat in the big armchair in front of the chimney, looking for the heat of it to dry her hair completely and we waited for our dinner while I cradled her. At the appointed time, someone knocked on the door; that time I did not went to open the door, not wanting to break our peaceful position…

"Come in…" I said out loud and heard the door squealing slowly

"I brought your dinner My Lady" A voice said, but I did not even bother to look in the direction of it

"Leave the tray on the table and get out…" I ordered her and listened to fearful steps walking towards the table. Piper gave me a stern look and mouthed a silent _Thank you_ …I rolled my eyes exasperated, reluctant to say the words and she kept looking at me with hardness

"By your leave My Lady" The woman said and before she left the room I said it

"Thank you…" Loud enough to be heard

"You…you are welcome My Lady" The woman replied taken aback and I heard the door close behind her

"Are you happy?" I asked her boringly, although it was not necessary to ask such thing because as soon as I said the words of gratitude a beautiful smile adorned her face

" _Thank you_ " She said with great significance and clutched my cheeks with one hand and drew me to her to plant a big kiss on my parted lips "It was not the end of the world, was it?"

"Whatever" I said grumpily

During dinner, I paid no attention to the food, although it seemed that Red had prepared a real banquet. I only focused on keeping her glass full with wine, which I refilled stealthily every time she was distracted with the food…

"You _are_ planning to get me drunk!" She accused me. Apparently I had not been as stealthy as I had thought

"My only intention is to _lightly_ cloud your _judgment_ …" I defended myself against her accusations "Which, by the way, how's it going?"

"My judgment is as _unbending_ as always, thank you for asking" She said conceited, picking up her full glass to drink a modest gulp, but I could already glimpse her loss of inhibition. When dinner was over, I got up from the table and stood by her side. She picked up my mood and got on her feet too, facing me with insolence…

"How _bendable_ is your judgment now?" I inquired naughtily and she pondered about it for some seconds…

"I think...it could be _highly_ questioned" She admitted barely whispering

" _Mhmmm_ , the perfect amount" I approved impishly and I couldn't know who started the kiss first, I think it was by mutual agreement. Her mouth tasted like wine and her skin burned madly by the effect of alcohol. Her arms wrapped my waist and her hands inadvertently went to catch my butt without modesty, the wine getting the best of her. I smiled widely into the kiss. The movement of her lips suddenly became ever so measured, thoughtful…then, she began to turn slightly to the right of my mouth, kissing the corner of it lightly, ending the kiss. I opened my eyes in confusion, thinking with dread that she was beginning to regret the whole thing, but I did not see even the slightest trace of doubt on her face

"I _want_ you to…" She began with heavy voice "I _need_ you to tell me…" And then corrected almost immediately "To _guide_ me through it…" Her tone was almost pleading and I understood that maybe she was not yet ready to learn to listen to her instincts, that maybe I was demanding too much from her intending that she would take all control…

"If that's what you want…" I did not care how; I needed to feel her all over my body, I needed her to bring me relief

"It is…" She whispered deeply intoxicating me with her warm pant.

We resumed the kissing at a slow pace; I grabbed her firmly by her waist and began walking towards the bed, forcing her to walk backwards. When her thighs met the mattress of one side of the bed, I spun us around to change our positions and I let myself fall on it, taking her down with me. Despite our clumsy fall, she managed to keep her lips firmly attached to mine. Fortunately, when she fell on me, she had left her leg conveniently between mine. I reached for her contact, raising my hips to grind my core against her thigh, too in need of attention in that particular area. I had never wanted someone's touch as much as hers. She perceived what I was doing, and stopped the kiss immediately to watch me with wary eyes superbly wide open. For a moment I thought I had exceeded her limits, perhaps I had been too forward, so I withdrew my hips and settled them on the mattress. She observed me attentively and ever so slightly, I sensed her pressing her thigh on my core. I raised my eyebrows at her in amusement and the beam of a devious smile was sketched progressively on her lips... _A fast learner indeed…_ I thought feeling certain pride in how much she had learned in so few lessons.

I grasped her face firmly between my hands staring intently into her eyes and since, unlike her, I had not one scrap of shame, I began to pound my center on her soft thigh deliberately. I could not enjoy the direct contact of her skin, since the silk fabric of our robes stood on the way, but I let it be; who knows for how long I was going to be able of enduring the direct touch of her skin, and I had to prolong that moment as much as possible…

"That feels so good Pipes…" I told her to assure her and saw the glow of pride in her gaze. She leaned and captured my lips exquisitely; I combed her long hair caringly with my fingers reassuring her every time her audacity became more explicit. She seemed to be reviewing every lesson given by my lips, almost methodically, like she did not want to forget any detail. She had begun slowly, nibbling my lips in the form of small pecks releasing wonderful sounds of pleasure, to then begin to trace the rims of my mouth with her tongue, as I had done so many times with hers. She introduced her increasingly indomitable tongue into me moving it like never before, reaching every space in my mouth; then I was the one delivering sounds of delight. The tension within me was growing madly and her leg no longer offered me comfort, when all I could think of was on her lips and tongue wrapping my clit. I growled gutturally at the thought and pushed her away from my face…

"What if…we take off these annoying clothes?" I suggested carefully, not wanting to push her

"Ammm…yeah…right…" She said as if remembering her main purpose.

She got her upper body up, that time only straddling my left thigh, while I kept my horizontal position on the bed to assess her in all her splendor, giving her complete control over the situation. Her feeble fingers undid the knot that kept my gown closed, and very slowly, she slid her fingers under the fabric to open the front. Only then, I raised my torso a little, to free my arms from the garment, but I lie down immediately while she kept her position. Her eyes traveled all over my nakedness appreciating every inch of my skin, returning eventually to rest her gaze on mine. I could hear her jumpy heart beating frantically as her hands moved to her waist to untie the front of her own gown; she stripped off it, exposing herself to my fairy view. Her long fair locks fell rebelliously like a cascade of gold over her shoulders, concealing her perky breasts; I traveled down her body with my eyes, observing the muscles of her abdomen tightened with nervousness, until my eyes fell on her wonderful wet folds pressed maddeningly on the skin of my thigh.

For a brief moment I thought about changing our roles, being me the one who regained control, being me the one to take her, but I refrained from doing so, because that moment was not about my pleasure anymore…it was about her, growing up in self-confidence, and _damn it!_ I was dying to see her taking all the control she wanted over me, something I had never allowed another woman to do, but _her…_ I already belonged entirely to her. Very slowly, she leaned her body over me, never breaking the contact of our eyes. I smiled at her staggered by her beauty and secure poise. When her face was within the reach of my hands, I barely held her between my hands to caress her flushed cheeks with my thumbs. Already very close to my face I felt the need to ask her again…

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I spoke the question with tenderness, giving her again the option to decide…

"Oh Shut up…" She said exasperated and silenced my doubts with her lips. She let herself rest on me, pressing our fronts pleasingly, drawing out moans from the depths of my throat. Her heat and the weight of her body offered me a feeling of shelter and security that I had never felt before. I began stroking her back teasing her by lingering my hands very close to the curve of her rear. She parted her lips gasping for air and very low she said "Teach me…" She opened her eyes slowly and watched me

"Your wishes are orders, your Highness" I said with exaggerated courtesy, which earned me a deadly glare from her. I caught her face and kept it firm, less than an inch from me "To go down on me…you just have to kiss me like you do with my lips" I instructed her "You can… _lick_ " I licked her lower lip to show her " _Nibble…"_ I nibbled the fleshy rim " _Bite_ …" I proved my point grasping the lip tightly between my teeth pulling gently of it to release it " _Suck_ …" She let out a heavy groan when I sucked on her lip until leaving it slightly puffy " _Anything_ you want…I'm all yours" I let her know…

My words seemed to give a new impulse to her desires; her face became a face of covetousness. That time she leaned toward me, but not looking for my lips, she tilted her head to one side and buried her face on the crook of my neck and planted a wet hot kiss; I gave her better access turning my head to the opposite side and slowly but unwavering she began to traverse my collarbone, from end to end. I could feel how the wetness of her lips scorched my skin pleasurably and her heavy breathing invaded my senses. When her lips ended their tour on my right shoulder, she hesitated a moment about where she would go next. I placed my right hand on the back of her neck and tugged her encouraging her to continue down. My nipples hardened painfully, yearning for the warm moisture of her mouth to mollify the aching feeling. She descended unhurriedly to my chest and I looked down to witness the moment her lips wrapped the summit of my right bosom…the sensation was maddening and in the end, I could not even hold my gaze for more than a second because I felt as if I was about to faint. The large room was filled with a deep groan coming from the depths of my being. I drew her face greedily harder against my chest, making her open her mouth taking more of me into it, while muttering muffled sounds of delight…I let her off immediately, remembering immediately not to be so brute by forcing her like that, still her mouth did not let go off my mound. I tried to breathe to clear my mind; I opened my eyes and blinked several times and dared to look down again. Her lips were trembling, but remained stubbornly attached to the halo of my tit sucking it very sweetly; I noticed her eyebrows knitted together with heavy concentration, her zest made me smile with fondness…

"You are doing marvelously…" I felt the need to give her words of reward.

She opened her azure eyes suddenly, nailing them on me and resumed the thoughtful attentions of her mouth to my breast without diverting her gaze from me, although gradually she closed her eyes again in concentration. I searched for a pillow with my left hand to prop up my head and observe her better. She made good use of the wide repertoire of treatments I had taught her. Her lips were not very _fluent_ , obviously, it could not be otherwise since she lacked the practice, still, I could not stop the moaning sounds; I had never been so vocal, and I was not feigning for her sake. What I enjoyed the most was definitely her tongue coating my peak with its balmy dampness, or maybe her lips nibbling my nipple intensely making it to harden without being aware of the soreness she was causing, but even that I enjoyed deeply. She seemed too focused taking care of my right mound, so at one point I had to remind her of the unattended equal of the left…

"Don't forget about this one" I told her tenderly, tilting my head to the left. She smiled shyly and crossed to the other side tracing the middle of my chest with her brazing tongue. My left nipple hurt with anticipation to be finally rewarded by her mouth…I dropped my head back, arching my body and making a guttural sound.

My core was throbbing frantically, and what I wanted the most was to push her head down; of course, I restrained myself from doing so. She began repeating her wonderful repertoire, but I could only bear so little…"Piper…" I called her attention in a low voice making her to raise her sight. I observed her deeply and told her "I need you to kiss me… _down there_ " I tried to say with calm voice, so that she did not feel it as an order; even so, my voice came out as a low grumble "Do you think you are ready?" I stroked the locks of hair that fell on her eyes caringly, to compensate her for the brutality of my tone. She simply did not answer. After some unbearable seconds of silence she lowered her gaze as well as her face to place her lips in the middle of my chest. I relaxed right away when I sensed that she was starting the eternal descent, tracing the middle line of my stomach with her wet lips like a sweet torture that became insupportable when her tongue came to play at the height of my belly button. She kissed lovingly my womb before venturing beyond and perched her hands on my hips when she was about to cross the line where the thickness of hair began. I spread my legs with intent already savoring the moment and reached for her head entangling my fingers in her golden hair, stroking her with affection offering her certain support. Her breathing became rough and irregular when she descended across my bushy mound, stroking it with her nose until at last, I could feel her burning breath hitting sharply against my sensitive sex charged with arousal.

I watched her closely when she became motionless; she was already positioned perfectly between my legs, her face just in front of my core and her eyes full of lust fixated on the new discovery. I gave her time, in spite of my pressing need. Her face was hard to read, but I was not afraid that she would back down, because despite her astounded gesture, the glitter of excitement in her eyes was undeniable, I was sure that she would reach the end of her quest, though I felt like another six centuries passed for that to happen. I was about to tell her something to get her out of her absorbed state, and it was like calling her with my mind, as she looked up to meet my eyes with intrepid face. I smiled at her and raised my eyebrows amused, asking her silently _Well?..._

"I'm definitely going to need your assistance with this" She blurted out causing me to burst out of laughter dropping my head back. I made an effort to recover my good behavior and looked down to meet her amused face that proved that she had not taken my laughter as an offense.

"Alright…" I agreed delighted and pushed myself back with my arms, looking to sit down leaving her bewildered. I dragged to the top of the bed to accommodate myself by leaning my back on the pillows that were piled up against the headboard, looking for a more comfortable position for me to see her and _guide_ her… "Come here…" I invited her to settle herself between my parted legs, as she was a few moments ago. She leaned over my center and settled as I told her to, leaving her face very close to my core "Do you remember what I told you when I taught you to explore your own body?" She nodded entranced "Well, think about how you would like to be touched and kissed in…" I reached for my clit with the tip of my middle finger and posed it lightly on it " _Here_ …" I resumed "This is where I want your lips…" She looked down to where I was pointing paying special attention. I retrieved my hand from my mound and placed it lightly on her head, as a silent encouragement.

She sighed deeply clenching her jaw and leaned into me to pose her parted lips right where I needed her the most. I thought I knew all the sounds I was able to discharge, so for a second I wondered… _Who the hell is making that sound?..._ until I was aware that the deep whining came from the center of my being, rippling through my whole body like an endless hum. Without intention, I had clutched the hand placed on her head and my fingers grabbed her hair strongly, but she did not seem to care about it; I forced my fingers to loosen their grip after the first encounter between her lips and mi inner being…

I could not take my eyes off her; it was the most erotic thing I had ever witnessed in my life; through my bed had passed dozens of women and none of them had been able to cause such an extraordinary sensation just with a light kiss on my parted folds. She withdrew her lips and my stomach growled at the sight of her licking her lips as if tasting the remains of the wetness that lingered on her lips and instantly she proceeded to taste me once more, but that time, leaving her lips fixed on my core. A new delivery of sounds escaped from my mouth as her tongue began to trace small lengths along my slit, tentatively, probing the terrain so to speak…The feeling was exquisite, but her mouth drifted a little down, missing the sensitive spot that implored attention. I tugged her head lightly grasping ever so gently her hair to align her mouth with the tender bud and the abatement was immediate…

"Right there Pipes…please" I told her with tattered voice. She abided by the plea and began to focus her efforts on the small area "Very good" I said with relief between moans while the tip of her tongue licked my clit sheepishly slow. Above my own vocal reverberations I could perceive her sounds of delight; I forced myself to shut up to listening her attentively…she was humming with pleasure as if tasting a dish. The heat of her mouth and tongue were exceptionally mollifying but I was beginning to need more of her. With my right hand already placed on top of her head, I began to _guide_ her movements, pressing her face a little more against my core "You are doing so good…" I wanted to recognize her efforts before getting too bossy "Maybe you could…flick your tongue a little… _faster_ …" I suggested short of breath for once in my life and she proceeded to do so right away " _Arghhh_ …that's right…" Since she seemed so willing to do everything I told her, I continued to make suggestions "And maybe…you could…" I began saying, after all, the main goal besides my own pleasure, was to teach her "Move it in…circles" Her tongue came to a halt for a few seconds as if she needed time to think about it, and began a clumsy circling motion that made me smile of fondness " _Smaller_ circles…" I recommended, so that she would wrap my clit more precisely in the movement " _Ahhh_ …that's perfect" I fell back against the pillows and closed my eyes to immerse myself in the sensation. She was doing wonderfully despite being her first time… _How many things can I teach her to do to me?..._ I thought with ravenousness while her tongue kept moving insatiably causing the most amazing tickling sensation. For the moment it was best to leave it simple; I did not want to overwhelm her with too much information, besides, it was more than sufficient to appease my urgency; there would be time to teach her other ways to give me pleasure...

The pressure within me began to increase dangerously, there was no turning back. The greedy creature in me took possession of my pleasure and I began to swing my hips selfishly, grinding my core against her face while keeping her mouth over my bundle of nerves by holding her head with both hands; her soft whimpers only made me hungrier for her contact. I kept rocking my hips against her in a pounding shift, trying really hard not to be so brusque with her, listening attentively to her muffled sounds, which, in my opinion, were just of enjoyment and only encouraged me to go on. Eventually, she caught my tempo with her head and her lips clung stubbornly to my bud while her tongue exerted the most delicious pressure right on it...soon it was too much... "Piper..." I called her name as a prayer increasing the pounding openly; I felt her hands wrapping my hips out of control, trying to tame them, but there was no force in the world capable of stopping the immense quivering that was beginning to come out of my being...

How in hell could I describe the sensation that struck me at that moment? I had never been close to feeling a thousandth part of what I felt then. My mind could not make a single thought while my deranged body convulsed stridently. I was blinded not only by the familiar pain but by the climax itself, which for the moment eclipsed all my senses. I could not see, I could not hear, I could not speak. I just felt my body rising above the clouds, near the blazing sun to going back in free fall and explode in thousands of pieces that were scattered all over the bed. I never imagined I would be able to feel something like that; of course, she had to be the one imposing the rule of exception, again. I was aware of my body shaking from exhaustion, completely shattered while lying motionless I don't know for how long, but steadily I began to resuscitate, I had an angel already taken care of me, picking up the pieces of my broken body. I could perceive her lips tracing the skin of my abdomen, comforting me placidly; her mouth seemed to venerate my body in its ascent, kissing lovingly every inch of it. She traveled up through the middle of my chest, she kissed tenderly my neck with small pecks and I finally felt her warm and sweet breath enveloping my face...

"Alex..." She called my name cautiously and I opened my eyes to meet her heavenly face "Hi..." She greeted me with a mellowed smile that could make me lose my sanity

"Hi..." I returned the smile and she got closer to give me the kiss of life, as I felt as if she could make me reborn with her lips. I murmured with pleasure against her lips, where I could taste myself "Mhmmm..." I licked her edges to clean the remains of my arousal from her face "That was..." I pushed her face away from me to see her in the eyes "Just..." My mind was still running very slow "I have no words" I finally said laughing lightly

"Did you...like it?" She asked me shyly with whispering voice

"Like it?!" I exclaimed as loud as I could, which was not very loud "You have left me completely... _stunned_...I can not even...think straight...I'm going to need some time to..." I babbled out of words "See? I can not even...finish my sentences" She smiled modestly but I could see she was proud of herself "What about you? Did you...?" Again I failed to deliver the words but she understood the question

"Well...it turned out to be... _quite interesting_ " She said after a while... _What the hell?._..I thought

"Interesting?" I raised my eyebrows wanting to know what she meant by _interesting_ "Interesting as... _good_ interesting...or interesting as... _bad_ interesting?" I inquired incoherently

"Oh no...definitely interesting as..." She trailed off and left me in the dark for endless seconds. Then I saw a mischievous shift on her eyes and I knew she was messing with me "... _Good_ interesting..." She finally said and I sighed out of relief "A truly rewarding experience...and...I...I definitely want you to enlighten me more about this..." She continued saying with her confidence enlarged and without diverting her gaze, leaving me wonderstruck. I watched into her eyes and let her to hypnotize me with her unblemished soul, full of the most genuine love for me; in that moment my chest swelled with boundless affection towards her, certainly the most that I could feel for someone, but never enough for what she deserved...

"And I...I will definitely fulfill every one of your wishes" I guaranteed her "Whatever it is, whatever you want...I would do _anything_ to make you happy Piper" I wanted her to know it, for her to be aware that what I wanted the most was to make her happy; it was the only way I could express what I felt for her and how important she was to me. She watched me intently...

"I couldn't be happier right now" She said with eyes full of love smiling ever so sweetly

"Come here..." I pulled her closer making her lay her head on my right shoulder and embraced her strongly against me; she settled placidly on me and I enjoyed her closeness and the sensation of fullness that invaded my empty chest "I'm sorry if I caused you harm by pulling from your hair too harshly...you kind of...made me lose control for a moment..." I said lightly but deeply contrited, and caressed her hair caringly. Her body stirred with a slight chuckle...

"It's alright...I did not even notice it..." She said carefree "I think I was too focused on something else..." The last words came out muffled since she pressed her hot lips against the skin of my neck embarrassed by the statement. We fell into a quiet silence exchanging adoring caresses. I wished more than anything to live forever in that precise moment; maybe not even eternity would have been enough time to spend with her, nevertheless I remembered that in the end, nothing would ever be enough, since I was problably already living the end of my days...


	35. Chapter 35

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Helloooo! Hope I didn't make you wait for too long. Here it is, another chapter! It is not as long as the previous one because last one was an extraordinary exception XD Hope you enjoy ;)

 **CHAPTER XXXV (Piper's POV)**

I extended my arm across the bed blindly searching for her coldness. I opened my eyes disoriented when I did not feel her anywhere near; her side of the bed was empty. I let out a loud grumble of complaint highly disappointed by her absence, but I was immediately relieved when I thought that she had probably gone to the kitchen to bring breakfast, as it was already very usual. I took advantage of the few extra minutes in bed and went back to cuddle in the warmth that still remained on my side of the bed. Only then I noticed the soreness in my body. I felt my skin over sensitive, and even the soft silk sheets over my naked body seemed to cause me discomfort. I suddenly sneezed mightily and a pang of pain invaded my head _"Ouch…"_ I muttered; my nose was congested and my throat was dry… _I am sick_ …Realization hit me making me whine of protest; I hated being sick. Through my mind passed the various events of the previous day that surely had made me catch a cold…the freezing air of the morning, the ride under the rain, the things we did in bed, the things _I_ did in bed and the hours I spent naked with her…I could not regret that last part, even when it had cost me a cold; only the memory made me blush deeply…

I decided to wait in bed since I was then less willing to abandon the warm security of the bed, but the minutes passed and she never came with breakfast… _That's weird…_ it usually did not take her so long to go to the kitchen. I sat on the bed with some effort as I felt quite weak, but I was worried about her prolonged absence; my eyes fell on the folded yellowish paper on my nightstand. My heart flipped when I noticed my name written with the most delicate calligraphy… _Piper…_ I squinted at the piece of paper and my hand went to grab it to read its contents…

 _My dear Pipes,_

 _I had to leave very early in the morning. I have responsibilities that I have not been able to elude any longer. I am very sorry I left without saying goodbye to you, but I did not have the courage to interrupt your peaceful dream. I'll be counting the seconds to see you again._

 _All yours,_

 _Alex_

 _P.S.:_ _Drink the glass of water; it will do you good for the headache…_

I felt truly desolated to know that she was gone for the day; I felt my eyes fill with tears foolishly. What I would have loved the most at that moment was to be pampered by her _, and she is gone!_...I thought with a hint of resentment. Perhaps the fact that I was not feeling very well made me extra vulnerable. After my initial anger, totally misdirected at her, I came to reason and understood that it was not fair for me to feel anger towards her; she could not know that I felt sick and finally, she had been neglecting her duties to spend time with me, so I regained my composure and decided to go out of bed and go to the kitchen for breakfast. I sat on the edge of the bed wrapped in the sheets and the movement almost made my head explode. I remembered the last line of her note… _drink the glass of water…_ I wondered how could she possibly know about the headache that was tormenting me in that moment, but I did not question her words and took the glass of water she had left on my bedside table. My tongue was dry and patchy almost begging for the clear liquid. I drank the glass to the bottom in copious gulps and the relief was considerable. I stayed put for a few minutes until finally I decided to stand up. I dragged the shits out of the bed with me, not wanting to expose my naked body to the cold air of the morning, although the fire in the chimney seemed renewed; she was careful to add more wood into it before leaving...the simple thought got me an easy smile.

I looked for my clothes and got dressed, I also put on my thick coat even though I had no plans to go outside, and I started walking the long way to the kitchen, very slowly and with special care while descending the stairs since my state was kind of feeble. I finally got to the kitchen and I was glad immediately when my ears registered Nicky's lively voice…

"Look who's here!" She greeted me loudly when she saw me, making me grimace and cover my ears with my hands

"Ouch!" I gasped "Could you…please…not do that again?" I pleaded walking towards the table to take a sit. She laughed entertainingly…

"Crazy night?" She wiggled her eyebrows knowingly

"What?" I asked her confused by her tone and words

"Don't be so vulgar" Red chimed in while smacking Nicky's nape with a loud thud

"You've got to stop doing that!" Nicky complained while rubbing herself behind the head and looking at Red resentfully

"Please…stop the screaming…" I held my head with my hands covering my ears and leaned over the table to press my forehead against it…

"Woah…are you alright?" Nicky asked with concern placing her hand on my back

"I'm not feeling very good…" I muttered

"Let me see you sweetheart" Red came to me and made me raise my face to assess me "You are burning with fever…" She said after removing the strands of hair from my forehead to press her hand on it

"I think I've caught a cold" I told her

"Ohhh poor thing" Red said caressing my face tenderly and then directed her words to Nicky "Why don't you help her get back to the room? I'll go soon with a special breakfast for that cold…"

"Yeah sure…come on…" Nicky stood up to come to my side and offered me her hands to help me on my feet and supporting me on the way back

"Where is Alex?" Nicky asked me when we reached the central stairs…

"I don't know…she left me a note telling me that she had to go very early in the morning…" I explained

"She probably had several petitioners waiting for her favors…" She simply said. I found the way back to bed endless, and when we finally arrived, I got under the sheets with all my clothes on. Nicky helped me to take off my boots and went to look for more layers to put over me "I think what helps most in these cases is to sweat the fever…?" She said in a tone of doubt, as if she did not know very well what to do, making me laugh softly

"Yes, I think that's what they say…" I told her

"Alex is the one who knows about these things…with all the books she has read…" I felt certain sadness that she was not there with me "Red is also very good, but she _thinks_ she can cure mostly through her food" She said rolling her eyes; I felt she was trying to cheer me up with some conversation

"Thank you Nicky…and I think you are good with these things too…" I told her remembering especially my days of convalescence after the accident when I fell of the horse; she never left my side. Red soon arrived with a steaming bowl of soup…

"With this soup you will feel like new…" Red said always taking pride in her food. Nicky looked at me rolling her eyes comically… _What did I tell you?..._ I felt she told me only with her gesture. The truth, the soup was wonderful even though my sense of taste was diminished by my congested nose. As soon as I finished the last spoon, I felt tremendously comforted by the heat it caused inside me.

"Are you cured already?" Nicky asked me mockingly; of course she waited for Red to leave the room to make the joke

"Actually…she might be right about the healing abilities of her food…I'm feeling so much better" I said honestly

"I'm glad to hear that…" She smiled at me fondly "Do you need anything else?"

"No Nicky, thank you…"

"You should try to sleep then…I'll stay around in case you need anything…" She assured me and I settled against the pillows to do so, but I took advantage of the alone time with her to talk about a subject that I had very fresh in my mind…

"Can I…talk to you about…something?" I asked her tentatively

"You know already that you can talk to me about anything Piper" She said smiling at me "But honestly, if this is about _sex_ …I'd rather not know anything about what happens between you and Alex and _this_ bed" Her words embarrassed me deeply; she, like Alex, did not seem to be ashamed to talk openly about such things…

"No no…" I denied anxiously "It's not about… _that"_ I had still some trouble calling it _sex…_ "It's about something that happened two days ago…"

"Alright…tell me about it" She said and paid me close attention

"Like I said, it happened two days ago…" I began "She had taken me to the attic to show it to me…then she played a beautiful piece on the piano she had composed for me…" I added recalling the beautiful memory "We had spent an extraordinary day together and then I think I… _ruined it"_

"Why would you think so?" She asked me with real curiosity

"I think I made a big mistake by telling her that I…" Again I felt the shame of that moment burning my cheeks "That I…love her"

"You told her that?" She asked me with the strangest gesture on her face, a gesture I did not know how to read so of course, I thought the worst

"Ohhh…I knew it…it was a huge mistake…right?" Then I started to sweat the fever for real

"NO! no!" She quickly added "Piper…" A huge smile was drawn on her lips "I don't think it was a mistake at all…letting people know what we feel about them can _never_ be a mistake…quite the opposite, keeping what we feel to ourselves, that's the real mistake" Her words somehow managed to made me stop regretting having said the words "And you don't know how happy it makes me to know that you love her" She told me with a look full of the purest happiness

"At least someone is happy about it" I said ironically

"What do you mean?"

"Well…that's what I wanted to talk about" I explained "When I told her _that,_ she did not seem very… _enthusiastic_ " The memory filled me with discontent

"Wait…" Nicky said and continued warily "When you told her that you loved her…what did she say?"

"She…told me many things" I tried to recall her words "About…how I was the most extraordinary thing that had happened to her, about how we were bound together by destiny…but in the end, she seemed to be very careful not to say the words back, and afterwards there was certain awkwardness between us…I felt really stupid" I almost wanted to cry again

"I cannot believe it!" She spitted hugely offended "Of course she had to ruin a moment like that…" She snorted heavily "And you should not feel stupid… _she is the stupid one_ " Words barely came out from her mouth through her clenched jaw "The stupidest, mulish creature ever!" I had never seen her so angry

"Why do you say that?"

"Because apparently she is unable to understand the simplest things in the world…and then she thinks she is very wise" I scrutinized her trying to discern her words, and she continued talking softening her tone "Look…I would not even worry about what she said or did not say; believe me, I know her like nobody else and _I know_ that she loves you madly…even if she tries to deny it or avoids saying it…"

"But why would she do that? Why not just accept it?" I asked suspecting that maybe Nicky was just trying to make me feel better telling me those things. She seemed to debate internally whether or not to share what she was going to say next. She took a deep breath and began telling me…

"She is under the impression that she cannot _love_ …"

"What?" I retorted aghast

"She thinks that because of who she is…she's incapable of loving" She elaborated

"But that's…that's absurd" I couldn't believe that she actually believed that of herself…with how caring and tender she was with me

"I know…I've tried to open her eyes but she stubbornly believes that she can't because of her heart…" _Her heart…_ That had caught my attention dearly…

"Her heart? What about her heart?" I immediately registered a change in her face; as if she had just slipped the words by accident…she had obviously said something she was not supposed to say

"Nothing…" She quickly added with a nervous demeanor. I narrowed my eyes at her letting her know that I did not buy that "Please don't tell her we've been talking about this…" She pleaded confirming my suspicions; there was definitely something else, but I was not going to force it out of her, I preferred Alex herself to tell me…

"Fine…but I will ask her anyway…" I said smugly

"Keep me out of that conversation" She warned me sternly widening her eyes and we finished our talk with the excuse of letting me rest. She told me that she would be in the library, that if I needed anything I could ring the bell she left on my nightstand, but after our conversation there was no way I could sleep. Two specific words kept echoing in my mind… _Her heart…_ inevitably, I associated the words with something that had happened the night before; I reviewed the moment in my mind…

After our heated encounter, I found myself lying on her naked torso for an endless time. The place was starting to cool down dangerously, but I couldn't have cared less, which was probably another cause of my cold…The left side of my face was pressed placidly on her chest; I observed with great curiosity the strange mark above her heart and ever so lightly, I began tracing its hard surface with the middle finger of my right hand. She did not seem to care about it so I took the opportunity to assess the scar with detail. The mark was black as coal and quite broad, its length was considerable, as long as my hand. It looked deep and the main line was rather irregular, and from it came small streaks, like little streams that diverge from the main river. I kept wondering what could have caused it…

"It's a weird scar" I barely said, unable to control my curiosity

"Uhm" She murmured as if agreeing to my acknowledgement. I hoped she would tell me about it without having the need to ask her directly, but she said nothing…

"I've been…" I began warily; I feared it was not something she wanted to talk about, but I really wanted to know "… _wondering_ for a long time…what happened to you…" I dared to inquire more manifestly

"You've been wondering for a long time?" She repeated guardedly after some seconds

"Since my second night in here" I remembered vividly the moment I saw the scar, not for the impact of the mark itself, but because it was the first time I had seen her naked. I could not have forgotten that moment…

"How is that even… _possible_?" She wondered with clear suspicion in her voice

"What?" I did not understand what was so impossible about what I had just said

"That you knew that I had this mark since then…if it was only recently that you saw me naked for the first time…" Then I understood what she meant

"Oh… _ammm_ …" I had been caught pathetically. I would have then to explain that I had seen her naked while sneaking through the ajar door on the second night of my arrival. Of course, the subject made me blush extremely "It's just an expression…you know…to refer to something that seems it happened a long time ago…" I tried to sound nonchalantly

"I think you've been pretty specific…you said _since my second night in here_ " She retorted with amusement knowing that I was keeping something from her "So I'll ask you again…how could you possibly know that I had this scar since then?" She waited for my answer "Piper…" She said my name cautiously pressing me to speak…I let out a snort of exasperation and agreed to tell her…

"Fine!..." I exclaimed annoyed by her insistence and propped up by my left elbow to see her in the face "But you must promise you won't make fun of me" She narrowed her eyes thinking about it

"I don't know if I want to do such thing…it seems a promising story" She said mockingly and I changed my mind about telling her

"Alright…then you'll never know" I said unflappably and withdrew from her, turning around in bed to turn my back to her

"No no no…wait!" She was already grasping my waist with her arms from behind but I was firm with my resolve and kept my position "I'm sorry…" Although it was really hard when she placed her lips right on my ear "I promise…I'll do my best not to make fun of you…" That was better than nothing, and surely the most I could get out of her " _Pleeeeease_ …" She begged leaving me powerless; I turned around again until I was lying on my back and we were facing each other. I looked at her carefully and in the end, I ended up by telling her my little secret…

"It happened on my second night in here…" I began while catching some loose dark strands that fell from her head "I was bringing the water for your bath…" Her face grew somber for an instant, probably she did not like the memory of those times when I served her and she had left me on Sylvie's hands, so I proceeded to tell her the rest of the story very quickly and keeping a light demeanor "Remember? I had dropped a bucket of water…"

"Yeah…I remember…" Her voice denoted some sadness

"Well…it turns out that I dropped the bucket because Sylvie almost caught me looking at you through the crack of the slightly open door" I smiled genuinely by how things had changed since then between us; then I would have never imagine myself lying naked next to her on her bed "I was going to knock on the door but…I was distracted by watching you taking off your clothes and I saw you… _naked_ " I whispered and lowered my sight to her chest a little embarrassed by telling her the story

"I cannot believe you…" She said with an unfamiliar tone that made me look up at her to assess her face warily "Sneaking around!" She highly disapproved "I don't think that's a proper thing to do, especially not for a princess" Only then I realized that she was messing with me, when her _severe_ gesture began to fade into a mischievous smile

"Look who's talking about sneaking around!" I replied with a sharp voice smacking her slightly on her shoulder and leaving her confused "I remember that you also had the opportunity to see me naked without my permission"

"Excuse me!" She chimed in and continued justifying her actions "If I saw you naked without your consent it is only because you were unconscious" I had no idea what she was talking about…

"Unconscious?" When did that happened? Had she been seeing me naked while I slept?

"When you fell from the horse…" She explained…I had not thought of that and I felt sorry for thinking the worst

"You…you saw me naked then?" I felt strangely self-conscious knowing that little piece of information…

"I had to take off your clothes to assess your body looking for wounds…" She explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world "But don't worry…I did not _sneak_ on your naked body if that's what you are worried about…believe me, your nakedness was the last thing in my mind at the time" She made sure to explain the episode to me

"Anyway…I was not referring to _that_ time…" I told her smiling at her warmly

"What time then?"

"To when I was recovering from the accident…I was taking a bath in your bathroom…" I recalled "I had dozed off in the bathtub and when I got out of it I found you _staring_ at me through the mirror" She furrowed her eyebrows as if trying to remember…

"I really don't know what you are talking about" She finally said innocently

"Oh come on! I'm quite sure that you'd been watching me for a while"

"And?" She said unflappably "What if I did?" I snorted with indignation...

"You should…be ashamed for your actions" I told her adamantly; I wanted her to feel ashamed just as I was for my little confession

"I watched you very carefully as you came out of the tub…" She confessed after assessing me with narrowed eyes, but I could not notice a shred of shame on her face, quite the opposite, she seemed to enjoy the admission of what she did. She continued speaking dropping her voice delectably "I have the image engraved in my eyes…of sparkling drops of water running down the smooth curves of your naked body…" My breathing suddenly was numbed "I watched _everything…_ is that what you wanted to know?" I simply nodded embattled and she resumed the talk with a casual tone "I could have disappeared in an instant and you would never have known that I had been there with you, but you know what…?" She asked me bringing her face closer to mine "I did not care that you got me…I actually _enjoyed_ that you seemed to be aware of it" Her impudence was fascinating; nothing seemed to embarrass her "In fact…I think you enjoyed it too…am I wrong?" She inquired playfully with her face barely an inch from mine

"Enjoy?" I asked in disbelief while laughing "I got completely nervous! You made me feel… _things_ …which were unknown to me…it was mostly embarrassing" I remembered the feeling of self-consciousness she had left behind too vividly

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way but…In my defense I must say that you are easily ashamed for… _anything_ …" She laughed humorously. I wanted to refute her statement but she was right

"And maybe you are too…" _Insolent, impudent, brazen, cheeky…_ Various adjectives came to my mind " _Barefaced_ " I said at last more than satisfied with finding the right word. She raised her eyebrows in enjoyment

"I'll take that as a compliment…" She had even the nerve to say "And just so you know…there is _nothing_ that I enjoy more than your diffidence" She released a raspy chuckle and pressed her lips on mine to kiss me affectionately.

After our conversation, we settled under the sheets getting ready to sleep; I was exhausted. Then I realized that still I did not know how she had gotten that scar…I had the suspicion that somehow, she had diverted the subject deliberately, so I let it go and at some point I fell asleep…

But after my conversation with Nicky, I was determined to get to the bottom of it; somehow I needed to bring up the subject again. I would find a way to do it when she got home. For the moment, I decided that it was better to try to sleep, that way the hours could pass more quickly and maybe, if a was lucky, when I woke up she would be there with me. The simple thought encouraged me to fall asleep right away. Unfortunately, she had not yet arrived for when I woke up again…I could not help but to make a sound of complaint when I saw Nicky watching me from the chair she placed next to the bed…

"Nice seeing you too" She said with heavy sarcasm

"I'm sorry…I was hoping she would be back for when I woke up" I said

"No she's not back…" She smiled at me "How are you feeling?" She got closer to place her hand on my forehead

"Awfully" I muttered

"Yeah…I think your fever is up again" She said apologetically "I better go find Red…" She said and left in a hurry. I thought that what contributed the most to my discomfort was her absence… _When would she return?_ I kept thinking

Red's attentions were much more effective than Nicky's. She placed hot wet handkerchiefs on my forehead and arms and very soon my fever seemed mollified. At lunchtime, she was back with another succulent bowl of soup; I was not very hungry then and Nicky kept forcing me to finish everything…in the middle of Nicky's coaxing to make me have another spoonful, she appeared…

"What's going on?" I heard her voice before seeing her figure

"Well well…look who's finally home!" Nicky greeted her

"Piper…" She assessed me and climbed into bed to reach me "What happened?" She asked tenderly cupping my face. The relief that her chilly hands brought within me was instantaneous

"She's got a cold…" Nicky chimed in and Alex turned her head to asked her

"Why in hell didn't you call me?" She inquired harshly

"I did not think it necessary to bother you if you had things to do" Alex did not seem to like the answer

"It was not up to you to decide such a thing" She replied severely

"Alex!" I called her attention and she turned her face to me; I thought it was rude of her to talk to Nicky like that "She's right…it's just a cold…besides, I've been in very good hands" I smiled to reassure her "Nicky and Red have been taken care of me all day" She softened her severe face

"I would still have liked to be the one to take care of you" She said with tenderness

"You can take care of me now" I assured her smiling broadly at the sense of happiness

"Ohhh man…I should better go" Nicky said; for a second I had totally forgot that we had company "I'm feeling slightly sickish suddenly"

"Thank you Nicky…for everything" I said as she walked towards the door…

"You are welcome!" She said cheerfully over her shoulder and got out the room

"Maybe I should apologize to her…" Alex said softly "Will you be fine if I leave you for a minute?" The last think I wanted was her to get away from me for another minute…but I liked that she wanted to apologize to Nicky

"I'll be fine…go!" I cheered her and she left instantly after giving me a quick peck on my lips. I tried not to count the seconds… _It's just a minute Piper, you can be without her for another minute…_ I kept repeating in my mind until she was finally back

"I apologized for my rudeness _and_ …I thanked her for taking care of you" She let me know while walking towards the bed "She told me that you don't want to take your soup" She sat on the very chair that a moment ago was occupied by Nicky and grabbed the bowl of soup that she left on the nightstand "But I'm sorry to tell you that you are going to have to take it all…" She said taking a spoon to my mouth, which I accepted delighted. When I finished my soup, she took off her boots and climbed onto bed to sit next to me; she put her right arm over my shoulders and brought me to her, inviting me to lay my head on the crook of her neck. I felt her lips on my forehead… "You are still burning up a little…I will have to prepare something for the fever if it does not come down soon…"

"But…not too soon…stay here for a while" I said as I passed my right arm over her torso to gently cling to her waist, reluctant to let her go not even for another minute. She chuckled and kissed the crown of my head inhaling my essence

"Don't worry, I will not go anywhere" Her words enlarged my chest with bliss

"I missed you…" I said with a smile plastered all over my face

"I missed you too…and I'm so sorry for leaving you" She said with a hint of sadness "If I had known that you were sick, I would have stayed by your side…"

"It's alright; you could not know…the important thing is that now you are here"

"Still…I'm mad at Nicky for not letting me know" She said sourly

"I wanted to ask you about that" I said remembering the recent exchange between her and Nicky

"About what?"

"You told Nicky that she should have _called_ you…How can she do that? If she did not even know where you were"

"That's easy…she simply has to think of me" She answered casually

"And that only works with Nicky?" I wondered

"No, it works with _anyone_ …"

"But I've been thinking about you all day…!" I said with annoyance since apparently it did not seem to work with me, which caused her to laugh animatedly

"Probably because you've thought of me as… _Alex…_ " _How else if not as Alex?_ "To _invoke_ me, you have to think of me as _The Warden…_ " She answered my internal question

" _Awww_ …I see" I said with realization "As I did the night we met" I remembered the time I had invoked her to save my people

"Exactly…so now you know…in case you ever need me and I'm not around, all you have to do is to think of the _Warden_ …"

"I'll keep it in mind" I said smiling gloriously at such information thinking how I would make use of that wonderful knowledge…

Her presence seemed to have soothed me so much that although I had been sleeping all morning, I got back to sleep against her chest, while she tenderly stroked my hair by tangling her fingers between my strands and her cold lips pressed on my forehead appeasing the heat of my fever. When I opened my eyes again I was alarmed when I felt my head resting against the pillows instead of against her chest…

" _Warden_?" I asked tentatively, barely whispering. I heard her distinctive raspy chuckle

"Aren't you the greediest girl in the world?" She spoke amused "I was away _only_ for a couple of minutes to prepare you this…" I saw her standing beside the bed and noticed a little clay mug between her hands "This will take away your fever" She guaranteed placing the mug on the bedside table and leaned over me to help me sit supporting my back on the headboard "I must warn you…it probably tastes as hell" She said while handing me the mug. I cupped it in my hands and brought it closer to my nose. The smell of herbs made me wrinkle

"It smells terrible, that's for sure…" I did not want to imagine how it tasted like

"You must drink it all" I had no escape under her watchful sight, I had to drink it "It will do you good, I promise"

"Argh!" I slightly complained before taking the first sip. I detected a slight bitter taste; It was not nice, but neither undrinkable. I still hurried to drink it all before I changed my mind and just in case, I pinched my nose with my free hand and gulped down the whole thing "There…" I said victoriously handing her the empty mug and relished in the remaining aftertaste in my mouth "Actually…it was not so bad" I said on second thought

"I'm truly impressed…" She said as if proud of me and continued speaking nonchalantly "I thought you would not find lizard's eyes delicious"

"Lizard's eyes?" I asked aghast

"The best remedy to fight a fever" My stomach contracted and I felt disgusted, I wanted to puke. She began laughing as if she could not contain the laughter anymore. She had fooled me

"You…" I looked at her severely

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it…" She said contrite

"You should be here by my side making me feel better, not making fun of me" I reproached her

"You are absolutely right…" She retorted putting on a serious face and getting into bed again with me "I'm sorry…" She apologized hugging me tightly against her. She laid her back on the pillows, and I wrapped her torso with my right arm and rested the left side of my face right on the space between her right shoulder and her neck…

"Apologies accepted…" I said after settling comfortably "And just to be clear…what was in that drink?" I asked to be sure

"Only herbs…I swear" She reassured me "It will make you feel progressively at ease and sleepy, and when you wake up again, you'll feel so much better"

"But I don't want to sleep" I complained…I wanted to be with her, I did not want to go back to sleep "I want to be with you…"

"You _are_ with me…" She pointed out

"I want to be aware of it…not… _unaware_ of it" I said already feeling somehow at ease, like she said I would

"I won't leave your side, not even for a second, I promise…I'll be right here and tomorrow we will have all day to be together" I murmured with pleasure at the prospect

"Mhmmm…that sounds perfect" To my great discontent I suddenyl found myself in the need to go to the bathroom...I growled very low

"What is it?" She asked in alarm

"I think I need to get up..." I told her

"Are you going to puke?" It was her first assumption

"No...I need to go to the bathroom" I said sheepishly

"Oh! Alright...come on" She helped me out of the bed and without questioning me, she carried me in her arms

"I can walk..." I let her know

"I don't want you to walk" She said and kept walking towards the bathroom

"Wait wait!" I made her stop at the bathroom's door "What are you doing?" I asked cautiously when I sensed her intentions to go in with me

"Taking you to the bathroom" She explained bewildered

"I'll need you to wait outside" I told her

"Why?" She retorned completely oblivious to the problem

"Because!" I was not going to let her in with me while I was doing my needs... "Just wait outside!" I ordered anxiously

"Fine...but please let me know if you need help" She finally agreed

"Alex...is just a cold...I think I can manage to go to the bathroom without your assistance" I assured her and reluctantly she dropped me to the floor gently.

"Are you alright?" She asked through the door after a couple of minutes, not helping to the privacy I needed

"Could you give me some privacy?" I complained and she did not answer fulfilling my demand. It took me a while because it took me some work to strip me of the long shirt and breeches and put them back again...when I got out of the bathroom, the first thing she did was taking me again in her arms making me giggle...She sat me on the bed and I thought it would be more comfortable to take off my day clothes and put on a more appropriate attire to go to bed... "Maybe I should take these clothes off and put on my camisole..." As soon as I said it she went to the closet to grab the garment

"What? Can't I assist you with this task either?" She inquired after observing my exasperated face when she began helping me to take off my clothes. I loved that she cared for me, but she could be a little extreme sometimes. I did not need her help to undress myself, but I let her; she seemed satisfied when I let her take care of me. Ever so gently, she took off my clothes and despite how innocent the whole action was, my heart could not help beating mightily when she left my upper body exposed even if only for a second, because she inmmediately put on my nightgown... "There you go..." She said when finishing the task leaning down to kiss me on my forehead "Now go to bed...you need to rest..." I got into bed and she followed me behind. She settled down beside me, slightly propped up on the pillows and offered me her body as always to support my head. I nestled my head on my favorite spot, on her right side, just under her collarbone. I was reluctant to fall asleep, so I fought against the soothing effects of the brew that were starting to be noticed by me to stay awake as long as possible "You never told me in the end…about your scar" I said without thinking about it, straight as an arrow; maybe the brew had helped me in the process to loosen my thoughts through words

"No I didn't…and honestly, I don't think you want to know…" So she had not told me for my sake…

"I think I do want to know…" I returned stubbornly. If in any way, that was related to her inability to love me back, I thought I had the right to know. I felt her chest rise; she breathed deeply and hooked her left hand behind my neck, dragging my face to the other side of her chest. She pressed my head firmly right above the scar without saying a single word "What are you doing?" I asked her cautiously

" _Shhhh_ …listen" I did what she told me and listened…I listened intently and after a while I began to question what was it what she wanted me to hear…

"I don't hear anything…" I said finally

" _Exactly_ …" She said making me furrow my eyebrows in wonder. I withdrew from her chest and raised my face to look at her, propping myself a bit with the help of my arms to reach the height of her eyes "You can't hear anything because there is nothing to hear" She explained when I locked my eyes with hers. Probably my puzzled face was what made her elaborate her cryptic explanation "I don't have a heart" The words came out of her mouth like a sigh. Then everything was clear…

"Is that why you think you can't love me?" I asked her. The crease in the middle of her eyebrows made me regret the question

"Who told you that?" _Oops…_ I had failed to leave Nicky out of the conversation "No…forget about it…I know the answer already" She said annoyed

"She did not do it on purpose…" I felt the need to intervene on Nicky's favor "And it doesn't matter anyway…I was going to assume it once you told me what you just told me…" Then my mind began to work on her words… _she doesn't have a heart…_ another trait of her that added to the growing list of things that should frighten me to know, but as always, instead of terrifying me, I ended up by finding it intriguing "I want you to answer my question…is that the reason why you didn't tell me that you love me back?" I asked directly

"Yes…" She barely whispered with heavy grief

"Do you really believe that you are incapable of loving because of it?"

"Tell me…how could someone love without a heart?" The sense of vulnerability was tangible in her voice. I thought very carefully about her question...

"I don't love you with my heart…" I said after a moment of meditation, irritated by her ridiculous conjecture "I…I love you with all my being Alex…not just with my heart" I was determined to make her understand "What I feel for you cannot in any way be limited only to the heart…that would be too… _poor"_ She was paying close attention to my words "Look…" I told her, holding my right hand in a fist in front of her "Once my father told me that our hearts were the size of our fist" She fixed her eyes on my fist and I saw the hint of a beam tugging the corner of her mouth "It would be impossible for something so small to contain something so large…" She wrapped my fist with her long fingers easily

"It's a very small heart indeed" She pondered with a smile and nailed her gaze again on me, never letting go of my fist, holding it against her chest…

"Certainly, my heart goes crazy every time I see you, or every time you touch me or kiss me…" I had to admit, but the things she caused in me went beyond...How could I explain the things she made me feel? "But my skin…I felt it melting under your touch, even the slightest feathery caress is enough to make it burn…and my lips get itchy just thinking of your lips and my mind…my mind keeps storing every little detail about you and every memory of the moments we share, I keep them as a treasure…and my ears delight themselves when they hear your laughter and my nose gets so joyful when it registers your unique essence…" I could continue telling her all the blissful havoc she caused in me, but it would take me hours to do so...She kept watching me closely, with eyes brighter and clearer than ever "I don't want you to tell me that you love me…" Honestly, after talking with Nicky and after finding out about her heart, it was not something I needed to hear anymore "What annoys me is that you think you are incapable of loving when the only thing you do every day is making me feel wonderfully loved" I finished and she seemed lost in my gaze. Ever so slowly, she drew her left hand to caress my cheek and brought me closer to her to join her lips delightfully with mine…"Mhmmm…wait" I said retiring away from her "I'll make you sick"

"You know I can't get sick, right?" She told me amused; right away I leaned towards her to resume our kiss but she dodged me leaving me perplexed "Still…I don't think you should be in contact with _cold_ things…" She joked bringing desolation to my soul; I missed her lips already "We must keep you warm" She gave me an affectionate little kiss on the tip of my nose and settled me down, pressing my head against her chest again after wrapping me carefully with the covers so as not to touch her body directly "I want you to go to sleep and get some rest…" In truth, I was feeling exhausted and it was starting to be an impossible task to keep my eyelids open; the herbal concoction was beginning to work unexpectedly, making my head foggy

"What have you given me?" I asked her mumbling. I heard her laughter buzzing in her chest and nothing more…

"Have sweet dreams" I think she said, although her voice already sounded miles away

"I will…" I barely muttered and collecting my last ounce of strength, I thought I got to say in the end "I love you"

 _"_ _I love you too"_ I couldn't say if I really heard that while some awareness still remained in me, or if it was a simple product of my mind already heavily dull by the effects of the brew. That night was a dreamless night, or maybe my dream had been so deep that I would not remember anything…


	36. Chapter 36

**AUTOR'S NOTE:** Hellooo! You guys! You won't believe what happened to me...I actually thought I had updated on Friday, I already had the chapter written and ready to update but I went a little crazy and I'd swear I did it but then a guest asked me about the update which surprised me a little, so I checked the uploaded chapters and realized that I did not update it in the end...I was probably distracted by something :/ I think I'm going crazy with so much work XD I'm sorry for the delay because it was actually a stupid delay since the chapter was finished! Well, I'll keep it short and I'll stop talking ;) This is another happy chapter so enjoy it! Thank you so much for reading and for your wonderful support...Luv ya all! and have a great week!

 **CHAPTER XXXVI (Alex's POV)**

I was immersed in a peaceful state that I had never experienced. I had finally found the relief that for so many days I had been yearning agonizingly. To the calm, I had to add the feeling of extreme tiredness that reigned in every inch of my body; she had left me completely wasted. My right hand inadvertently began convulsing making fists; I knew what it was asking, but I stood firm in not falling into the temptation, refusing to be so lacked of self-will. I had to hold back my dark instincts as much as I could, but to think about the _cell 342_ and about what surely awaited me in there was almost irresistible in that moment, when my weakness was quite manifest. Thankfully, it was no more enticing than to be with her. I took a deep breath in an attempt to clear my mind of those dark thoughts and focused on her. I distracted myself by following closely the sound of her beating heart encompassed by her deep breathing and the nasal embellishment of her captivating snoring. I placated the itching of my right hand with the burning skin of her lower back, sliding it carefully under the sheets, which were the only thing covering her naked body, that way I managed to overshadow my primal impulse. Nevertheless, there was something else I found impossible to ignore, the dozens of voices that rumbled in my head; voices that became more persistent as I ignored them most. I had not attended any of those requests for days and maybe it was time to at least turn to the most desperate prayers. I did not want to leave her side, but I thought it would be better to take care of my business while she slept. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and away from her warm embrace. There were still a couple of hours left for dawn to come, so I hurried and got dressed immediately. I made sure to leave the fireplace alive, and I wrote a short note in case she woke up before my arrival or in case I was home later than expected, and so, I went to attend to the prayers of my petitioners.

The fulfillment of my duties as the _Warden_ also helped me to forget about my other imperative need. Perhaps occupying my mind on other matters would be beneficial to me; maybe I could take another day without visiting the cells of darkness if I kept myself busy. The list of petitioners was endless; I attended first the most hopeless voices and then turned my attention to smaller requests. I had completely lost track of time and the morning passed in a sigh. I allowed myself to visit a couple more of requesters, high on the need to close more deals, and then I went home, when I could no longer stand to be away from her…

I did not know where she would be at those hours, so I headed to our room thinking it was a good place to start looking for her. The image I found in the room left me appalled; the first thing my eyes acknowledged was _her_ , lying on the bed…I knew something was wrong immediately…

"What's going on?" I asked with urgency while approaching towards her. _What did I do?...What did I do?..._ I kept repeating assuming right away that her obvious weakened state was my fault.

"Well well…look who's finally home!" Nicky said cheerily, but that did not soothe my worries

"Piper…" I got into the bed to get near her and very softly I caught her face between my hands as if afraid to break her "What happened?" I asked her but Nicky was the one to answer

Nicky said it was a cold but, what if it was something else? The first thing that came to my mind was the possibility that I had affected her as she affected me. I was scared to the bone; I was supposed to be the one to pay the consequences of my doom, not her. I misdirected my own frustration towards Nicky, blaming her for not having called me, when in the first place I should never have left her side…

"Alex…!" Piper's reproachful tone made me regret my roughness towards Nicky "She's right…it's just a cold…besides, I've been in very good hands" She said smiling sweetly "Nicky and Red have been taken care of me all day"

"I would still have liked to be the one to take care of you" I felt miserable knowing that she had been ill while I had been occupying my morning so selfishly looking for deals to close.

"You can take care of me now…" She told me with a big smile, which warmed my insides. Nicky said goodbye and I felt the need to apologize to her. I caught her in the hallway, after she left the room

"Nicky wait!" Despite how inconsiderate I had been with her, she did not seem displeased

"Yes?" She said conceited; she knew I was going to apologize to her, nobody knew me better than her

"I'm sorry" I told her sincerely

"Pardon?" She made a gesture as if she had not listened well, even though I said the words clearly enough.

"I'm sorry…I lost my temper and I took it out on you" I did not even mind to repeat the words "And thank you for taking care of her in my absence"

"I'm speechless…" She joked but put on a serious face immediately "And you should not thank me for taking care of her…you know she means a lot to me, and to Red" I knew it already, but hearing her say it reassured me enormously "Go with her…she's been waiting for you _impatiently_ "

"Wait Nicky…there's something I want to ask you" I said inadvertently, my urgent tone took her aback…

"Yes…whatever it is…" She agreed to it without even knowing what I was going to ask her

"If ever…something happened to me…" She narrowed her eyes in confusion "Do you promise to watch over her?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" She laughed as someone would laugh at a joke that they did not understand "What would happen to you?"

"I don't know…I'm just saying" I tried to appease the urgency in my voice, not wanting to raise suspicions "In the remote case of something happening to me…"

"Alex…is everything alright?" She inquired with gravity sensing maybe that I was hiding something from her

"Yes, of course everything is alright…I'm talking _nonsense_ actually…I guess it was just…" I said nonchalantly lost at words "Seeing her like that…and knowing that I was not around" I turned my head towards our room "I don't know why I'm even asking you this" I forced a short laugh so that she would not worry

"Because you care deeply about her…it's completely normal" She pointed out smiling at me warmly "And…in the _unlikely_ event that something happens to you…I promise I will take care of her…"

"That's all I wanted to hear" I said with endless relief

"Are you sure you are not keeping something from me?" She inquired with mistrust

"Absolutely sure…" The last thing I wanted was to worry her about something that not even I understood completely "I think lately I have _softened_ too much" I justified myself lightly

"The merit is all hers…" She joked

"You know that I…care deeply about you too, right?" I wanted to let her know; maybe asking her to take care of Piper might seem like I did not care about who was going to look after her…but Nicky knew how to take good care of herself in that world, besides, she had Red

"Oh Alex…come on! Keep some dignity for crying out loud…" She said with feigned awkwardness making me laugh; obviously she had said it to mess with me. She turned around and began walking away "She has _really_ softened you…" She stated in surprise, to no one in particular… "Oh!" She exclaimed remembering something and facing towards me again "There was no way to make her take the _damn_ soup…so make her!" She said with irritation and left

I went with her immediately not wanting to be far from her for another second, and remembering Nicky's last words, I _made_ her take the soup; in the end I did not really have to force her to do it. When she had taken the whole soup, I got into bed with her. I worried greatly when I pressed my lips against her forehead and felt her skin burning with fever; I tried to disguise my concerns for her sake and kept a casual demeanor… _Maybe it is a simple cold Alex…_ I told myself and paid great attention to any minimal change. Eventually she fell asleep; I offered her the chilliness of my lips to soothe her heated skin. Little by little I perceived that the fever was diminishing, a fact that calmed me down a bit, however I decided to prepare a strong concoction of herbs that would surely help with the fever, as long as it was really a cold and nothing more…

I had been away just for a few minutes to prepare the infusion, and she was already _calling_ me. When I heard her voice in my mind, my lips burst into a smile. I did not know why I had not taught her how to call me before…I went to meet the needs of my most recent and important petitioner…

"Aren't you the greediest girl in the world?" I told her joyfully; it fascinated me that she seemed so eager to be with me "I was away only for a couple of minutes to prepare you this…" I clarified so she would not think that I had broken my promise to stay by her side "This will take away your fever" _Or so I hope…_ I thought with dread while helping her to sit on the bed "I must warn you…it probably tastes as hell" I couldn't know so I warned her, just in case. I gave her the mug and the first thing she did was to bring it closer to her nose; she grimaced at the smell and let me know that it smelled terrible, but she drank it all without complaints, I could not believe it. She was not happy to know that it would make her sleepy. I did not specify that another effect would be the _word looseness_ …

After finally getting settled in bed to go to sleep, she could not contain her tongue most likely due to the herbs, and mentioned again certain subject that I had tried to avoid discussing with her the night before… _Idiot! You thought she'd let it go…_ She would never forget about it, she was too persistent to let it go. I realized that I would have to tell her someday, to tell her that she was in love with a heartless being. I was afraid of her reaction, that's why I thought that moment was better than any other, when I could use the effect of the herbs in my favor. I took a deep breath and gathered up my courage. I brought her head to the left side of my chest, resting her ear in the place where my heart should be and encouraged her to listen so she could miss my heartbeat…

"I don't hear anything…" She said befuddled

"Exactly…" I told her back. She pushed herself away from my chest to look me in the face; her gesture made me notice her confusion "You can't hear anything because there is nothing to hear" I enlightened her further "I don't have a heart" I said barely, afraid to be heard, but she heard me…

"Is that why you think you can't love me?" I had just told her that I did not have a heart and that's what she asked me. _How did she know about my inability to love_?

"Who told you that?" I wondered knowing already the answer. She had spent the whole morning with Nicky, they surely talked about it "No…forget it…I know the answer already" _Damn Nicky and her mouth…_

"She did not do it on purpose…" No of course she didn't, she never said anything on purpose; she simply lacked control over her words "And it doesn't matter anyway…I was going to assume it once you told me what you just told me…" I guessed she was right about it; sooner or later she would come to the same conclusion on her own. Her mind seemed to be working really hard to comprehend the information so I gave her time and kept quiet "I want you to answer my question…is that the reason why you didn't tell me that you love me back?" I had to answer sincerely, that I owed her

"Yes…" It hurt me deeply to recognize it; I did not want to hurt her feelings

"Do you really believe that you are incapable of loving because of it?" She wondered sweetly

"Tell me…how could someone love without a heart?" I inquired grimly. She pondered about it for a while or maybe her mind was slowed down by the herbs, but she finally spoke out

"I don't love you with my heart" She said in a tone that denoted nuisance "I…I love you with all my being Alex…not just with my heart" I sensed she was going to elaborate her statement so I just listened "What I feel for you cannot in any way be limited only to the heart…that would be too…poor" Before I could say anything, she continued her speech "Look…" She suddenly said and held a fist close to my face, I did not understand where she was going with it "Once my father told me that our hearts were the size of our fist" I put my attention on the fist in front of me and assessed it with affection, as If it were really her heart "It would be impossible for something so small to contain something so large…" She stated with her so known crushing logic. I held her fist with my left hand curling my fingers around it

"It's a very small heart indeed" It fit easily in my hand…I smiled and faced her again holding _her heart_ very close to my chest

"Certainly, my heart goes crazy every time I see you, or every time you touch me or kiss me" She began talking again, determined to go on proving her point, even though her eyelids began to weight notoriously "But my skin…I felt it melting under your touch, even the slightest feathery caress is enough to make it burn…and my lips get itchy just thinking of your lips and my mind…my mind keeps storing every little detail about you and every memory of the moments we share, I keep them as a treasure…and my ears delight themselves when they hear your laughter and my nose gets so joyful when it registers your unique essence…" She talked nonstop and I could only listen mesmerized to each one of her words with which I could completely identify myself, as she also made me feel all _that_ and more. Could she be right then? Could it be what I felt for her actually love? "I don't want you to tell me that you love me…" I saw she really meant her words "What annoys me is that you think you are incapable of loving when the only thing you do every day is making me feel wonderfully loved" And _that…_ to know _that_ was all I needed in life; nothing else mattered to me. Any word I said at that moment would be too little to make her understand how important she was for me, so I decided to say nothing and seal her words with a kiss "Mhmmm…wait" She murmured against my lips and withdrew from me "I'll make you sick"

"You know I can't get sick, right?" I let her know and she got me a smile when she immediately decided to resume the kissing; that time I was the one to stop "Still…I don't think you should be in contact with _cold_ things…" I said jokingly disguising my true concerns; perhaps my closeness was responsible for her deteriorated state. I would have to consider that possibility and be very watchful from then on "We must keep you warm" I kissed the tip of her nose very lightly and drew her closer to me to resume our previous position; I was very careful to wrap her snugly with all the sheets and covers available in bed, avoiding her direct contact "I want you to go to sleep and get some rest" _I need you to get better…_ I thought scared to the bone

"What have you given me?" She babbled in an accusatory tone already severely affected due to drowsiness; I was surprised that the herbs had taken so long to take effect, although I should not be surprised with how stubborn she was. She had obviously been fighting the soothing properties of the brew. I laughed to think about it…

"Have sweet dreams" I wished her

"I will…" She replied "I love you…" She finally said in an infinite sigh.

For a moment I pondered carefully about how would it feel like to say those words…Did it really matter to speak the words at that point? Would it make a difference? I had the suspicion that it wouldn't, because in the end, words were worthless. Even so, I allowed myself to say at the end…

"I love you too…" I said without fear of being heard…she was already far gone into sleep. The words seem to me hollow; the three words could never replace what I felt for her. Since then I decided not to think about it anymore, I would stop worrying about my stupid heart; from then on I would only worry about her, and if she assured me she was happy and she felt loved, then why keep torturing myself with the subject? At that moment there were more urgent things to think about, like her health and her current state.

The fever gradually decreased throughout the night until disappearing completely, which led me to think that my herb brew worked. That fact did not calm me down until dawn; she had spent the whole night without a fever, although her pronounced snoring indicated that her nose was still congested. Then I relaxed and started to believe that in the end, it really was a simple cold. Anyway, that day my cares towards her would not cease, just in case. The change in her breathing warned me that she was about to wake up. It was mid morning and she had not changed her position all night; I heard a little grumble that came from the depths of her throat. Her head remained settled on my chest…

"Good morning" I said cheerfully, ecstatic for her awakening. She mumbled more sounds of protest before speaking

"What time is it?" She said with a throaty voice after some seconds

"Mid morning" I let her know caressing her long golden locks

"Why didn't you wake me up?" She inquired irritated

"Someone is cranky this morning" I chuckled lightly "How are you feeling?"

"So much better…" She said softly and raised her head to watch me looking at her from above "Lizard's eyes worked pretty well" Her sleepy face seemed more colorful than the day before. I smiled at her broadly

"You look like you feel better" I agreed feeling wonderfully relieved

"Although I feel a little stiff" She pondered narrowing her eyes

"Well, of course!" I exclaimed "You have not moved and inch throughout the night"

"I'm sorry…have you spent all night and half of the morning like this?" She said remorsefully

"I think I promised you that I was not going to leave your side" Even if I had not promised her that, I would not have left her side in her condition. She smiled at me tenderly and her eyes shone with a layer of moisture, my statement seemed to have touched her deeply. She climbed on me to reach my height and pressed her lips devotedly on mine. The simple gesture awoke in me my insatiability for her. I wrapped her waist with my arms with covetousness, attracting her to me and kissed her delicate lips fiercely. She seemed encouraged by my intentions, instantly, her breathing became moist and hot and her hands clung with greed to my neck. I flipped us around, so that I was on top of her and forced myself to break our lips apart

"I don't think…this is a good idea" It took me a lot of effort to say

"But I'm feeling better" Disappointment was patent in her face

"Which is why you should be more careful" I said "I don't want you to get worse" I sentenced and she puckered her lips from discontent

"I'm sorry…" I said enjoying her distress, although at that moment I felt more contrite for my own needs "I'll go to the kitchen and get us breakfast" I informed her and kissed her forehead. I felt the need to get out of bed immediately, so as not to fall into temptation

"Please…" She pleaded when I was already out of bed standing by its side "No more soup"

"No soup…I promise" I guaranteed and left. In the kitchen, the first thing Red did was ask me about her

"How is Piper?"

"No fever last night…" I told her with a smile "Thank you for asking and…thank you for taking care of her Red" I thanked her

"Oh nonsense!" She diminished my words of gratitude. Like Nicky, she worried truly for her.

I went back to the room loading a generous tray loaded with all kinds of food, since I did not know what it was that she wanted to eat; fruits, jam, cheese, biscuits and fresh buns. Her eyes widened when she saw the tray. I did not want her to get out of bed but she insisted so hard that I had no option but to let her; I looked for anything that I could put on her…I covered her shoulders with a blanket, I forced her to put on her coat and as an extra measure, I added my cloak over her shoulders

"Is all this really necessary?" She wondered with bored tone

"Yes, it is" I returned strictly. Only when she was well wrapped, I let her get out of bed and I accompanied her to the table, always offering her my support

I asked myself if her appetite had ever been affected by anything…I enjoyed watching her eat with such drive; she was so focused on the food that she did not even noticed my deep stare…

"So…what are the plans for today?" She asked animatedly when she had finished the second bagel

"I have big plans for us today" As I said the words, her eyebrows rose delightfully in excitement, attentive to what I was going to say "Have you ever heard of staying warm in bed and drinking a lot of liquids?" I inquired with great enthusiasm, as if it was the most extraordinary plan in the world. She glared at me deadpan "Oh don't look at me like that…the plan includes both of us" I got to draw a smile on her face. After breakfast, we went to bed again, and in an attempt to keep her entertained, I thought it would be a great idea to teach her how to play chess after she had claimed that she did not know how to play.

"Can I move this piece like this?" She asked innocently

"Ammm… _yes_ " I pondered surprised by how quickly she had learned the basic rules. She continued asking before making any movement and after what I had thought were fortuitous moves she had my _king_ cornered, I had no escape… _How could this be possible?_ I asked myself focused deeply on the chessboard…How had I lost with someone who had just learned?

" _Checkmate_ " She said after a while, although I had not taught her that word yet. I raised my eyes from the board placed between us on the bed, and found a victorious smile on her face. Then I knew she had been cheating on me. I looked at her astonished by her ability to win me in chess and for the ease with which she had deceived me "I think that's what you say when you leave your opponent without options to move" She alleged nonchalantly "Oh! I forgot to tell you…I am really good at chess"

"You little liar" I accused her "For your information, I was being gentle with you because you told me you didn't know how to play…I won't have mercy with you this time" I said while arranging the chessboard again challenging her to a new game

I really came to think that she had won because I was not paying too much attention to the game since I was more focused on _teaching_ her than on winning, but in the middle of our second match, that had been quite long and tied, I realized that she was actually very good at it. Again, she had threatened my king and I had no way to remove her threat leaving me in a completely hopeless position… _Damn it!..._ I fixed my eyes on her fascinated by her skills

"I told you…" She said smugly

"Well…I have to admit that you are really skillful at chess" I assumed my humbleness before her talent

"You want to play again?" She proposed

"Yeah…why not?" I agreed resigned, knowing in advance that she was going to win again

In the middle of another game, I noticed that she was glancing stealthily at my chest. We had not spoken again about my heart, so I wondered if she would remember our conversation from the night before…

"There's something I still don't understand…" She began tentatively while moving one of her white pieces and I smiled internally knowing in advance that she was going to talk about it… _Of course she remembers…_ I observed her expectantly

"What?" I encouraged her to go on smiling at her tenderly

"Did someone take your heart from you?" She asked with sorrow

"Nobody took it…" I told her

"Then…the scar…" She began but I interrupted her

"Nobody took it…I did" I clarified and her face was immediately filled with horror

"Why? How?" She wondered appalled. I watched her cryptically, considering that maybe I could tell her how it had happened

"Come on" I chimed in getting out of bed forgetting the chess match. She looked at me cautiously "I want to show you something" With that she followed me out of the bed. I helped her put on her coat and mine over it and I took her to the attic…

"What are we doing here?"

"I want to show you a very important thing to me" I told her with a hint of mystery. I grabbed a candlestick and lit it so that she could see better and I began to walk along one of the corridors. She took my arm firmly "What I'm going to show you…it's my best kept secret" Only I knew about it "Nobody knows about this, not even Nicky" I wanted to show her the most private part of me, to let her know how much I trusted her

"Alright" She barely said, her heart was beating with excitement and maybe with trepidation

I showed her the way to a bookshelf full of small gadgets. I pushed the heavy piece of furniture to the side to reveal a secret door behind. The door gave access to the tallest tower of the castle. It had no locks, since it was protected with dark magic. Nothing and no one could go through the arch of the door without my acquiescence. I opened the flimsy wooden door and I invited her to go in…

"After you" She walked slowly into the darkness, although I followed her closely behind, lighting her way with the candles. A few meters into the narrow hall, was the beginning of the spiral staircase "There are 531 steps" I informed her "Of course I know a faster way to reach the top of the tower" I joked and took her by her arms. In the blink of an eye we were at the highest point of the castle, in a small room with stone walls that kept the source of power most coveted by any man on earth, _my power…_ She took a quick glance around and fixed her eyes on the only thing that could attract someone's attention in that place, since it was the only thing in the room. A simple table with an armored chest on it "I need you to promise me that you will not freak out for what I'm about to show you" I told her, suddenly fearing her reaction. She looked at me guardedly…

"What is it?" She whispered. By her apprehensive look, I could tell she already suspected what it was

"In there" I pointed to the coffer "I keep my heart" Words left my mouth in a sigh. She turned pale at once when I confirmed her suspicions. In there, I could not only listen to her heart, but the eternal lethargic beat of mine, always keeping the same slow tempo. Without words, I went to the coffer and lifted the heavy lid. She seemed moved by curiosity and approached cautiously behind me poking her face over my right shoulder. She pressed her body against my back and grabbed the sides of my upper arms. I felt her propelling herself with the tips of her feet to gain some height and be able to see inside the chest; the interior was covered in dark purple velvet, and in the quilted bottom, lay my living heart. I heard the air leaving her lungs in a deep sigh of astonishment…I did not dare to speak giving her time to assimilate what she was seeing

"Alex…" She let out heavily after a while

"There it is…" I spoke slowly "My heart" Strangely, I felt wonderful to share that with her. There was something special about her being the first and only person to see what was so precious to me

"It's… _beating_ " She said bewildered and I laughed lightly sensing she was a little more relaxed by her voice

"It has been beating for many centuries…is what keeps me _alive"_ I said the last word with irony. She dared to get closer to have a better look of the darkened vital organ…

"How is it possible?" She wondered intrigued "And you said you've ripped it out yourself…"

"Yes…that's what I wanted to explain to you" I resolved to tell her patiently "That heart contains the power that makes me who I am" She looked at me with misunderstanding. It seemed I had to remind her who I was besides _Alex_ " _The Warden"_ I said and she turned her attention again to the beating pulp "The heart is my weakest point…the only thing that could kill me" Well, according to the prophecy there was something else that could end me, and it was standing right in front of me, totally unaware of that fact "Let's say that if someone stabbed that heart, then the darkness contained in it would become part of him…"

"And that someone would become the _Warden…_ " She finished my own words, understanding it before listening to the whole explanation

"Exactly" I appreciated her efforts "That's why the first thing _it_ does when _it_ takes possession of your body is forcing you to rip off your own heart…to keep it safe"

"It?" She faced me furrowing her eyebrows

"The _darkness_ " I explained "As you see…I am only another servant of _it_ " I smiled sadly at her

"I see…" She said with sorrow. I continued explaining…

"In the beginning, it had complete control over me…with the pass of the years I began recovering my own self, I learned to differentiate myself from _it_ and to be the one in control…well, _most of the time_ …" I had to clarify "In the end…it is part of me and nothing can free me from it or from the responsibilities that come with being the _Warden_ …" She listened attentive to my words

"Then…you became the _Warden_ because you stabbed the heart of the last _Warden_ " Her words were not meant to judge me, she seemed genuinely interested in knowing

"Yes…I did it in a moment of true despair" I had forgotten many things from my past life, but that specific episode I remembered as if it had been yesterday

"What happened?"

"I will tell you the whole story…about my past life and about how I became the _Warden_ …" Someday I would have to do it, I really wanted to tell her "But not today…I don't want you to know everything about me so fast" I joked lightly, but in reality, it was a topic I did not like to talk about, I did not feel it was time to tell her about my other life. She understood my inner motives and approached me slowly placing her right hand where my heart should be and circling my waist with her left arm

"Thank you" She said looking into my eyes with extreme tenderness. I did not understand why she was thanking me. I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion "For letting me know more about you and…for showing me your heart" She said in the end lowering her voice "You have no idea of how much it means to me" Far from panicking, she seemed to really appreciate what I thought would be for her a gruesome moment.

"And you have no idea of how much you mean to me"

"I think I'm starting to get an idea" She said sweetly and tiptoed to reach my lips better, rewarding me with the warmest kiss. I circled her waist with my hands making her shiver, which made me remember her recent cold. I released her lips reluctantly…

"We should go back…it's very cold in here" At least she seemed to agree. Back in the attic, I moved the large piece of furniture to cover the door again

"Don't you think you should keep it more securely?" She wondered with true anxiety "It seems to me that a heavy shelf and a door so fragile are not enough protection" Her concern for my heart stirred me deeply

"Fragile?" I asked offended "There are things that your eyes can't see…" I said condescendingly as I approached her "This _fragile_ door is protected with very powerful magic…I'm the only one who can cross it…well, and from now on you too"

"Really?" The information appeared to be special for her

"Really…so in theory you are the only one who could damage my heart" I told her jokingly

"I wouldn't dare" She replied with serious resolve despite my light tone

"I know…" _At least not on purpose…_ I kept myself from saying

We walked side by side the way back to the room, she claimed she wanted to stretch her legs after having spent so much time in bed, and I agreed only because I was sure she was feeling better. I noticed Nicky lingering at our door when we were approaching the room…

"Nicky?" I said startling her

"Oh shit!" She turned around holding her hand to her chest "What the hell are you doing walking around?" She said reproachful "I thought you were in the room"

"We went for a short walk" I explained "What are you doing here?" Then I asked just out of curiosity

"I was just passing by to see how Piper was" She said casually "You feeling better?" Nicky directed her question towards Piper

"Yes, I'm feeling better Nicky, thank you for asking" Piper answered sweetly

"I'm happy to hear that…" She smiled at her "Well…I'll just leave you too alone"

"We have not had lunch yet…" I told her suddenly before she began walking away "Would you like to join us?" I felt guilty because lately I had not paid much attention to her. I had neglected her and left her in charge of too many responsibilities

"I…I don't want to bother you…" She said carefree

"I would love for you to join us" Piper quickly added

"If you are going to _beg_ for it…fine!" Nicky agreed easily and I headed to the kitchen to give orders to someone from the service staff to bring us the lunch.

"Are you coming tomorrow?" Nicky asked me already in the middle of lunch

"Where?" I asked warily not knowing what she was referring to

"We must deliver the coal quota and receive the new prisoners" She reminded me

"I'm sorry Nicky…I completely forgot about it!" I had lost the pass of the days

"It's alright, this morning I have already loaded the wagons with the coal, so everything is ready…I can go alone with a couple of guards" She assured me but I did not think it was right to leave her alone in charge of so many things

"No no, absolutely not…I'll go with you…" I told her with a tone that made it clear that I was not open to discussion. I turned to Piper then "If you feel better tomorrow, do you think I can leave you alone for the day?" I asked her gently

"I told you already, I'm perfectly fine...you should not disregard your duties for me" She responded sympathetically "I guess I can't go with you…" She added in the end with hesitation

"You guessed right" I returned

"Can I ask you why?" Of course she had to ask

"It's not something I want you to see" The simple thought of having the prisoners near her was inconceivable

"She's right" Nicky chimed in putting an end to the subject "It's not a joyful task"

" _Sooo_ …" I began cautiously, wanting to ask her about something, but I waited for lunch to be over "How things are going with Lorna?" I asked as casual as I could

"Arghhh" She burst exasperated "I really don't want to talk about her"

"What happened?" Piper was the one asking, triggering Nicky to talk. She needed so little to start talking

"She is getting married with this guy" She said aggravated "Remember, the idiot who was with her in the market?"

"Yes I remember…I'm sorry Nicky" Piper seemed really sorrowful with the news

"So that's it?" I inquired "You are just going to give up?" I was truly disappointed

"And what the hell am I supposed to do?" She retorted surly "Kidnap her?"

"If you ask me…" I said sardonically, because is exactly what I would advise her to do

"Whoa! I don't think that's a good idea" Piper said guardedly and I turned to her to tell her

"Apparently Lorna loves her back…" I argued to defend my opinion "But she is afraid because her family is forcing her to marry this guy…"

"Oh well…that changes everything…" Piper agreed with me. I knew she would be on my side; surely her own experience having been engaged against her wishes would make her think the same

"Are you even listening to yourselves?" Nicky exclaimed "Do you really think it's a good idea to kidnap her?"

"I'm sure that if you give her the choice she will agree to it willingly" Piper said with resolve and Nicky pondered her words but then burst out with frustrated

"I really don't know if I should be listening to you…I don't think you are the best advisers on love issues" Nicky's words were loaded with heavy sarcasm

"What is that suppose to mean?" I asked her slightly offended

"Oh please…" She snorted "Do you have any idea of the work it took me to make you understand what you felt for each other?" Both, Piper and I observed her with incredulity "Yeah…that's right…maybe you did not realize because I orchestrated everything very subtly, but I played a very important role so that you two would end up together" She said smugly

"That's so not true!" Piper was the one who exclaimed outraged

"My bad…you are right…you were not the problem at all" Nicky told her with conciliatory tone "Alex was the one that caused all the problems" She spoke as if I was not there

"What?" Then I was the outraged one

"Oh come on! From the first day I knew you liked her..." She accused me with a smug smile on her face "You were the last one to find out about your feelings even when the last soul in this castle already knew…" She got up from the table suddenly taking a deep breath "Thank you so much for your company and your kind invitation" She said with a flourished voice mocking cordiality and bowed exaggeratedly "I'll go and think about your stupid advice" She said and retired from the table and the room…

"Is it true what she said?" Piper was staring at me with a cryptic look and the shadow of a smile threatening to draw on her lips "Did you like me from the first day?"

"Maybe" I recognized grudgingly. I remembered vividly the first day, when Nicky introduced herself to Piper in the central stairs. The little exchange between them and Nicky's words of endearment towards Piper had annoyed me deeply "But it was only recently that I understood"

"I thought you hated me…" She said softly. Of course she could only think that I hated her

"I did" And it was the truth, there was a moment that I hated her. She was confused by my statement so I proceeded to explain myself better reaching her hand over the table to hold it on mine "I hated what you made me feel…I hated that you seemed to have such a strong hold on me" I confessed staring at her intently "It made me feel vulnerable and so out of control" I had never talked about this subject not even with Nicky, it felt good to get it out of my chest, to explain her why I had been so cruel "Nobody had ever had that effect on me, I was afraid of it so I refused to accept my feelings" She was listening to my words fixedly "I tried to convince myself so hard that I did not care about you, that I hurt you in the process" We had agreed not to talk about the past, but the damage I had caused her because of my arrogance was something that would always hang over my me "You don't know how much I regret having you treated like I did"

"Alex…" She said my name ever so softly and stared at me with affectionate gesture that let me know that she had forgiven me a long time ago "And when did you… _understand?"_ She said after some seconds filling the silence in an attempt to shift the conversation to a more cheerful tone

"The first night you had dinner with me…when I left aside my stupid pride to apologize" When I saw her damaged hands…I remembered with sadness "What about you?" I quickly asked her to erase the bad memory from my mind "When did you… _understand?"_ I wiggled my eyebrows knowingly

"I couldn't put my finger on a _specific_ moment…" She said squinting and continued speaking "I also hated you at the beginning and you were kind of _terrifying_ , still…for some strange reason I could not get you out of my mind" Again I regretted having been so brute with her "Then, after the accident I had the chance to get to know you better and I started seeing you with _different_ eyes but, I could not understand my feelings until… _that_ first night" She ended up saying blushing deliciously and dropping her sight to the table diverting my gaze. I laughed softly thinking about her responsiveness that night; of course I had been aware of her feelings towards me…

"Are you still thinking I'm terrifying?" I asked her lightly, but there was much more in that simple question. She raised her eyes with and incredulous demeanor

"No…I don't think you are scary at all…" She answered with honesty that was clear in her eyes

"Please…don't go saying those things around…" I told her with gravity taking her aback "I have a reputation that I must keep" I finished with mischief making her laugh shortly when she was aware that I was joking

We spent the rest of the day together in that small space of the vast realm of darkness, the only place where I could show my deepest self, where I could exhibit traits that nobody would have ever had the chance to see, because they were attributes that only she could invoke in me…


	37. Chapter 37

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello guys! as you can see I'm back! This chapter is a little shorter than normal because honestly, I did not want to leave you waiting much longer after so many days without updating the story...but don't worry, I'm already working on the next chapter ;) and hopefully will be able to update on the weekend (I'll keep my figers crossed!) Meanwhile, enjoy this chapter and I promise to reward you for the wait. Thank you so much for your support and patience. You are the best! ;)

 **CHAPTER XXXVII (Piper's POV)**

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone?" It was the hundredth time she asked. Of course, spending the day without her was the last thing I wanted, but to some extent I felt guilty for having taken all of her time, when Nicky needed her too

"I'll be fine" I forced myself to say with boredom, not wanting her to know how difficult it was for me to be away from her "In any case, I can call you if I came to need you _urgently_ " That seemed to reassure her. I was touched to be aware that she was as reluctant to leave my side as I was to leave hers.

"Alright" She said as if defeated "I will try to be at home as soon as possible, but I can't promise you anything"

"Don't worry about it, I should also catch up on my duties" The chores of the house had been completely neglected by me for the last days; maybe it was time to return to the routine

"I have to go now" She let me know with unhappiness. We engaged ourselves in an eternal hug as if we were saying goodbye for a long trip. She kissed me deeply and neither of us seemed willing to finish the kiss…

"It's late already!" Nicky had lost her patience, but she was right to do so…I had held Alex for too long already, since she wanted to have breakfast with me before leaving, and I had walked with her to the stables very slowly to share with her until the last second; already at the stables an exasperated Nicky waited for us with the horses ready

"Alright alright!" Alex exclaimed defensively at Nicky's reprimand "I really have to go now…" She said sorrowful and I couldn't help but show discontent "The sooner I leave the sooner I'll be home" She said highlighting the positive aspect of the situation

"Then go!" I encouraged her making her laugh. She gave me a last peck on my lips and climbed gracefully on her horse while I observed her with my aching heart. Our eyes met again for a moment, she looked at me with a tender gesture

"I'll miss you" She said

"Oh for all heavens…!" Nicky muttered encouraging her horse to start the march

"I'll miss you too" I told her; she winked at me playfully and went after Nicky

I kept watching them while they rode away at a slow pace, since they were accompanied by eight large wagons loaded with coal operated by drivers who held the reins of 4 horses at a time. The beasts dragged with great ease the mountains of coal but at a very slow pace… _How long would it take her to return at that pace?..._ I thought frustrated. Only when the caravan led by _her_ was lost into the mass of dead trees, I resigned myself taking a deep breath and headed to the kitchen to organize the tasks for the day. If I was going to spend all day without her, I thought it would be best to stay occupied, and thankfully, there were many chores to carry out.

"Have they left already?" Red asked me when I she saw me

"Yes…" I said spiritless "I will make good use of the day to do some chores…" I informed her "Where are the girls of the service?" I wondered since it was strange not to find them in the kitchen during breakfast time

"They have returned to the common dining room…" She said casually

"But why?" I asked puzzled

"They must have found the air in my kitchen somewhat hostile" She continued with a careless demeanor

"Red…" I said her name reproachfully. From the beginning she had refused to have those women in her kitchen; who knows what she did to make them go back to the common room

"I did not do anything!" She exclaimed defensively "They left willingly; maybe they felt uncomfortable without your company…" It was easy to imagine that in my absence Red would surely have behave rudely to them

"Then I'll ask them to come back" Of course Red did not like my words but she could not object to my decisions. So, I went to the secluded area that was the common dining room to find the girls and organize the work of the day. In the hall, near the entrance I could already hear her voices…

"I'm telling you…the evil has corrupted her…she had been taken hostage by _it_ , she has not even left its room" I came to a halt knowing immediately that they were talking about me, but I could not discern who that voice belonged to. I approached stealthily to eavesdrop more closely…

"And I'm telling you…that we should stop talking about _this_ …we can't do anything for her" That time I recognized Jefferson's voice

"She's right…we can't do anything for her anyway" Jones added with sadness. I was paralyzed trying to understand what I just heard…Did they really think that Alex was holding me against my will? The simple thought made me angry since they had no idea what they were talking about but thinking it over and over again, I could not judge them from thinking the worst of her, when I had done the same thing in the past. I tried to recover from what I had just heard so they could not know that I had been listening. After breathing deeply several times I entered the room with determination…

"Good morning ladies!" I said cheerfully. Obviously, I had taken them by surprise. They all got up at once from the table with unease

"Good morning ma'am" They responded in unison

"What are you doing here? I looked for you in the kitchen and you were not in there…" I inquired lightly in an attempt to make some conversation; for a moment nobody answered "So?" I encouraged them to speak

"We are perfectly comfortable in here ma'am" Jones was the one to speak. It took me aback her distant and so formal tone; of all the girls in the service, she was who I thought I had the closest relationship with

"Well…I really would like us to resume our previous routine…" I said "I know I've been absent, I've been… _sick_ " I lied to justify my days off. I noticed some exchange of glances around the room at my words "There are a lot of things to do, so if you have finished with your breakfast, I would like us to start organizing the tasks of the day" I informed them graciously

"Yes ma'am" They agreed, but I felt some discomfort in the way they responded

During the morning I had tried to dispel the uneasiness in the air. Clearly, they were treating me differently. I had noticed certain sideways glances directed towards me, and I had caught Jones watching me with a pitiful expression on her face, as if she felt sorry for me…

"Are you alright?" She asked me guardedly while we took off the sheets from the big bed

"Why should not I be alright?" I retorted defensively

"You said you were _sick_ " Something in the way she said it made me understand that she had not believe my story

"Oh…yes…it was a very bad cold" I worsened the reality of what had happened "But Lady Vause took care of me and helped me overcome it" Somehow I wanted to make it clear that Alex had not held me against my will or anything like that. She did not make further questions.

I felt terribly lying about the whole situation, as if I was ashamed to tell them the truth. I felt that those women would judge me if they knew that I loved her and that I had been sharing that same bed more than willingly. I knew I should not care about anyone's opinion, and why should I be ashamed? Even so, deep down, I was discomfited. I decided to ignore their inquisitive looks. While they finished cleaning the room, I locked myself in the library with the excuse of checking the inventory notebooks. The market was in less than a week, so it would be better to check what was needed. At lunchtime, they went straight to the common dining room; I decided not to insist that they stay in the kitchen with me. At least I had Red to join me at the table. After lunch, we also checked on the food supplies, although Red did all the work since she understood about quantities and how long it took the food to perish. At those hours I had done so many chores and yet the morning had seemed eternal. I held back from not thinking about her with a lot of effort, not wanting to call her accidentally.

In the afternoon there was nothing left to do; I decided to take a bath since I had not take one for two days already, because Alex would not let me because of my cold. I asked the service staff to send the water to my room, so they took it to my old room; I did not clarify that Alex's room was also my room then; I found it pointless to make it clear. I took a very unnecessary long bath in an attempt to kill some time, and after it, I headed to our room to wait impatiently for her arrival. I went back to the library leaving the door that led to the room open to be aware of her arrival and I turned my attention again on the inventory to do some estimate of what was needed, thankfully it took me some time since I did not know much about numbers. I realized that it was getting dark at some point and then I began to get really impatient for her extended absence and it became really hard not to think about her. At dinner time, I went to the kitchen to eat a little snack; I was not really hungry, I was just looking for some way to kill time. Red got me on my nerves when she casually let me know that it was unusual for them to take so long to return; she did not seem worried about it, and she assured me that there was nothing to worry about, but even so, her words only worsened my anxiety. I went back to the room and started walking in circles until I could not take it anymore and I just called her closing my eyes in concentration. A few seconds passed and I felt the familiar coldness of her hands on my face, covering my eyes from behind…I smiled widely incredibly relief feeling a sense of wholeness, as if my existence had no meaning without her; I needed her by my side so that everything made sense

"Alex…!" I exclaimed pleasantly surprised. I turned around to meet her face lit by the gleam of a beautiful smile, I did not hesitate a second to wrap her in my arms, provoking in her a rough and animated laugh…

"Was this your emergency?" She asked amused

"I couldn't help it" I said with my face buried in the crook of her neck, a little embarrassed for my covetousness towards her

"It's alright, I was _almost_ finished anyway" That fact made me feel worse

"I'm sorry…I interrupted you…" I said remorsefully, moving my face away from her neck to assess her

"I don't care, I was so happy to hear your voice" She said genuinely stirring my insides

"Do you…have to go back?" I asked her slightly upset only to think about it… _Please don't go_

"No…Nicky can take care of the rest alone, there was not much left to do" She disregarded to appease my concerns and leaned towards me to place her lips gently on mine making sounds of contentment "I missed you today" She delivered filling the inside of my mouth with her icy breath

"I missed you too…" I muttered moistly against her lips

"How about a bath?" She broke the kiss to ask me intently to which I just nodded in a daze

"I'll go to tell the staff to prepare your bath" I forced myself to say, my mind was slightly clouded

"I can do it" She added immediately

"No! I want to do it…let me take care of you" She had been so caring to me the last few days, especially during my cold, that I wanted somehow to return all those kind attentions…

"Alright…" She said mystified; my words seemed to be to her liking. I gave her a quick kiss and hurried to the kitchen. I got there short of breath and immediately ordered the staff to take the water to the _Lady's_ room and I ran back to her. She was already stripped of her clothes of the day and covered in her usual black silk gown that made her look so appealing

"That was fast" She told me with a big smile

"Not as fast as you though…" I said panting heavily "The water is on its way" I informed her after taking a deep breath

"Then what are you waiting for to take off your clothes?" She asked me impishly while walking towards me

"Actually…I've already bathed this afternoon" I confessed feeling suddenly guilty as I saw her look of disappointment. Evidently, she was waiting for us to take a bath together…

"Well…that I know, no one has ever died from bathing twice in a day" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully grasping my waist with her arms. The idea was tempting, of course, but I had another plan in mind…

"I told you that…I wanted to take care of you…" I felt my face lighting up with the heat of embarrassment.

"I like how that sounds" She simply said ignoring my blushful state maybe not to cause more discomfiture in me "I see that you have taken up your duties very seriously…the place is very clean"

"At some point someone had to do it" I told her jokingly. The knocking sound startled me slightly. The girls were already at the door. I went to open the door and let them in… "Come in please" I greeted them with big courteousness; they walked in reluctantly, their eyes filled with fear, as always happened when Alex was present. For a moment I wanted them to get to know her other self to stop fearing her, but the thought bothered me in an unfamiliar way because deep down, I felt truly privileged to know her other side and deep down, I wanted to be the only one to know her most intimate being, the one that had made me fall hopelessly in love with her. I lingered at the entrance waiting for them to get out of the bathroom after pouring the water into the tub "Thank you so much, and have a good night" I wished them to which they responded with vast formality…I closed the door behind them and got to see how Alex left behind her sullenness towards the girls…the hardness of her face softened in the moment our eyes met, and the blackened irises were degrading gradually to their light green as clear as the water; I was spellbound watching her from some distance and thought that I was definitely very lucky to know that other part of her…

"I think you said you were going to take care of me…is that correct?" She wondered playfully taking me out of my stupefaction

"That's correct" I asserted and walked towards her and took her right hand to _drag_ her to the bathroom. She watched me with delight when I started to strip her of her nightgown boldly "Get in the bathtub" I said with confidence after leaving her body faultlessly naked

"As you wish" I could say she was surprised by my forwardness. She got in the water and I knelt behind her and without asking her, I started combing her silky hair, as dark as the night sky

"I was worried about you" I told her making some conversation while my fingers ran along the black strands

"I told you not to worry about me" She retorted tenderly

"Yes but, it was taking you a long time to be back, I thought something had gone wrong"

"The truth is that things did not go well today" She said with tired tone

"What happened?" I asked truly curious about her day, as I started to brush her hair with the hair comb

"Two carriages went off the road and the coal was scattered all over the ground…" She explained

"That's terrible…someone got hurt?"

"No…but it took us a lot of time to reload the wagons with the coal" She said irritated "Nicky miscalculated the amounts of coal and overloaded the wagons, that's why they overturned"

"Poor Nicky…I hope you have not been too hard on her" I could only imagine Alex's scolding towards Nicky

"Poor Nicky?" She said in disbelief "She is to blame for me not having been at home earlier!"I laughed at her annoyance.

After her brief outburst, she calmed down and let me wash her hair as she had done with me in our last bath together. She murmured sounds of zest while my fingers massaged her scalp with my pads. I cleared her hair by pouring water with a small bowl, removing the traces of the soapy essence. There was something tremendously appealing in the act of bathing her, to be able to touch her so caringly and giving her such cares, as many as she had given me. Moved by my suddenly uninhibited instinct I proceeded to rub the soft skin of her shoulders and upper back. She seemed very receptive to my touch and the sounds of pleasure became gradually more persistent. Ever so lightly I caressed the smooth skin of the arch between her neck and shoulders, letting my hands venture further and further away, over her shoulders and down her chest, without touching her breasts. My breathing turned ragged inadvertently and the pleasant ardor in my core was growing dangerously as well as the heat on my face. I looked over her right shoulder, seeking to discern her intimacy through the water, but the water was clouded by the essences and I could only imagine the picture. The images of two nights ago invaded my head, when for the first time I was the one to indulge myself with her body; the experience had been as satisfying as when she had done it to me. My mouth watered thinking about it and I wondered if that night I would have the opportunity to taste her again.

At that moment, she seemed to perceive my yearnings, as always, as if she could read my mind and know my inner motives. Her hands came out of the water reaching for mine, perched on her shoulders. She curled my wrists with languid fingers, pulling me forward by attracting my hands down her body. From behind, my hands molded her bountiful mounds making her release a heavy moan; nothing had ever felt so good in my hands. I came to look down her breasts over her right shoulder; she turned her head to face me with a devious smile

"Is this what you meant by _taking care of me_?" She asked with mischief. The answer was _no,_ actually I was just thinking about assisting her during the bath although I should have suspected that the bath would end in something else. My bolted heart did not help me to answer her question so without words, I leaned forward looking for her lips. She captured my lips slowly at first to abruptly changing the motion of hers up to an almost violent delicious rhythm that made me lose my sense. She seemed hungry for my lips, maybe after two days of not giving me so passionate kisses because of my stupid cold. She nibbled the rim of my mouth mightily causing in them a sensation of pleasant soreness, while my intrepid hands enjoyed massaging her breasts; her hands over mine only encouraged me to intensify the kneading movement, making me go as far as she guided me. She began to steer my more than disposed right hand down her body submerging it under the warm water. The flawless skin of her abdomen was heated due to the water; it felt strange not to feel her characteristic coldness. Very slowly she continued sinking my hand until the tip of my fingers met the patch of bristly hair and my heart almost stopped in its tracks…

"Make me come…" She growled against my then swollen lips. I did not even understand what she had meant by that statement but there was no time to ask or think. She guided my hand between her legs sliding my middle finger in her innermost. She caught my lower lip almost painfully with her teeth and her breathing became heavily throaty. Without thinking I began to stroke her with my finger trying to remember everything about the time she had taught me to touch myself; she let go of my lip to release a moan that resonated in the small, steamy bathroom " _Arrghhh"_ She threw her head back and from her wet hair splashed drops that fell on my lap.

My devastated mouth looked desperate for contact with any part of her; I planted my lips on the delicious curve of her exposed neck and I let my tongue to trace the soft skin in there. I still felt some shame doing certain things, and my body and mind wavered at all times making me feel extremely overwhelmed by the whole situation; maybe all of her was simply too much to handle. I could not explain with words the desire I had for her and wondered if she felt the same yearning; her right hand inadvertently clinging greedily to the hair behind my head made realize that she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

"Pipes…" She moaned and her left hand went to assist me in giving her pleasure. Her movements were more precise and she limited my strokes to a small area; I paid close attention to the touch of my fingers, with them it was easier to discern which her most susceptible point was. I closed my eyes in concentration since I wanted to learn her by heart "That feels so good…" She muttered while I stroked her relentlessly.

My left hand kept kneading obstinately her breast and my mouth was reluctant to break the contact with her skin; I had not enough hands or mouths to cover all of her body, I thought with despair. Suddenly, she stopped guiding my movements and both of her arms went to rest on the edge of the bathtub and her body relaxed infinitely sinking slightly deeper into the waters leaving her pleasure completely in my hands; I would have been lost if it were not for the constancy of her moans, that among her hectic breathing, were my best guide. I immediately recomposed myself from my befuddlement encouraged by the fact that she was already mine…right? That thought encouraged me to the highest degree and I began to gently rub that hidden spot between her legs feeling superbly powerful of having her in my hands.

"You are doing so good…" She approved with ragged voice tilting her head to one side to face me. I did not need her to tell me that she wanted my lips. Her fleshy lips were parted and passive, leaving me in charge of establishing the rhythm of the new kiss. I feasted nibbling delicately her upper lip and letting the tip of my tongue peek from time to time traveling the rims, very slowly, as if it were a candy that I wanted to last forever in my mouth " _Mhmmm_ …I should…" She began talking between kisses "Leave for the day more often…" she joked causing the greediness to grow within me

"I don't want to be without you for so long, never again" I said in a voice full of authority, a voice that was not mine, stopping all of my movements at once. The sudden confession made her withdraw her face away from me. She opened her darkened eyes with an indescribable brightness in them…

"I don't want to be away from you either" She spoke softly after some seconds of silence, rewarding me with a captivating half smile.

We stared into each other's souls for a magic instant and I resumed the movement of my fingers deciding to keep the distance from her mouth. As much as I liked to kiss her, there was something tremendously engaging about seeing into her eyes while I touched her. Her wicked gaze only made me grow in confidence and to make bolder moves with the hand I kept under the water. I put more pressure with my fingertips over her core, which caused her hips to rise receptively to the more prominent touch, causing the water inside the bathtub to wave for a moment. I fondled the small nub thinking about how I would like to be touched by her. I took pride on the reactions I was provoking in her; she closed her eyes again, unable to keep them open and raised her face to the ceiling, throwing her head back to hang it over the edge of the tub and discharging the most astounding sounds of satisfaction. Her arms perched on the tub's sides tensed and her muscles became more pronounced; her hands clung to the edges to the point where I thought her fingers would break; the swollen veins along her arms seemed carved in white marble, she had never looked so marvelous…

"Faster…" She got to say with her voice imbued with guttural sounds whose echoes I could feel in my chest and increased as I obeyed her last command. I enhanced the stroking movement ecstatic with the image of her trembling being into the waters bending her legs by the knees and parting them as wide as she could in the narrow tub, exposing herself more openly to me. Her breathing became violent, resembling the roar of some animal. My own core throbbed painfully begging for her attentions, a sensation that grew with every second that passed observing her reactions, I could feel her pleasure reflected in me, so when she arched her back raising her chest infinitely, letting out a loud and heavy moan, I was breathless, open mouthed and rapt on high like never before. Her relief became my relief. Above the sounds emanating from her mouth, and I think also from mine, I distinguished a sturdy dry cracking of something that I did not know at once what it was, until my knees on the floor detected the warm humidity. At the end of her clenched hands I noticed pieces of porcelain that belonged to the bathtub. She had broken the edges causing big cracks on both sides of the tub, from which water began to spill. She did not seem to notice since her hands continued clinging to the broken pieces when her body collapsed resting on the remains of the bath. My hand stopped its movements and I kept it motionless, pressed sweetly against her core waiting for her to leave behind her visible stunned state. As always, that inanimate state of her always worried me deeply; for a moment I forgot about the spilled water all over the floor and I kissed the right side of her face tenderly, wanting to soothe her. Her chest rose prominently with every intake of air while her hands began to relax, dropping the porcelain chunks. I held her in my arms, hugging her from behind wrapping her shoulders tightly and pressing our cheeks together. I wanted to understand why she always seemed so devastated every time we engaged ourselves in body. I did not say anything and I just filled her with caresses and affection as her breathing became more regular. After a very long moment she shifted under my touch and raised her head opening her eyes

"What…?" She mustered "Where is the water?" She finally realized that the tub had been emptied

"You broke the tub…" I explained her softly and her whole body began to tremble; I was scared for a single second, until I heard her rough laugh

"Yes…I think I did" She traversed the jagged edges with her hands as if assessing the damage "I guess we'll need a new one" Despite her light tone, I was not calmed down

"Are you alright?" I couldn't help to ask

"Alright?" She repeated turning her face to her right, towards me "You made me break the bathtub…trust me…I'm more than _alright_ " She said smiling widely and I felt a pang of shame for what had just happened "Get me a towel would you?" She said after capturing my lips warmly. I stood up with some effort; my legs were numb from having been on my knees for so long. I walked towards the chair on which it was folded the cotton cloth and I spread it in the air while walking towards her; she got up too and walked out of the bathroom evaluating the wet floor "What a mess!" She exclaimed cheerfully as I covered her broad shoulders with the towel, wrapping her fondly

"I'll tell the girls to clean it…" I suggested and she immediately dragged me closer to her by my waist

"Forget about the mess…let them clean it tomorrow" She looked at me with devilry "Now I just want to reciprocate your wonderful cares" My mouth got dry in an instant and my heart skipped several beats…

"What about your dinner? Aren't you hungry?" I forced myself to ask her, trying not to be so selfish thinking about my needs and focusing on her, after all, I had told her that I would take care of her

"Oh… _I am_ famished" She affirmed with a scheming smile

"Then let me get you something for dinner" I felt her arms surrounding my waist with vast force as soon as I said that, preventing me from moving away from her

"That will not be necessary…I already have what I want for dinner" She said lowering her voice

"And what is it?" I asked slightly puzzled by her tone

" _You_ " She said with raspy voice causing a little noise to come out of my throat "I will have you for dinner…" She promised solemnly; I could not feel my legs and I thought they failed me for a moment. The only thing that kept me from falling was her strong grip "You are feeling better right?"

"Am?" I babbled like an idiot completely besotted

"The cold…" She had to remind me of it

"Oh! Ahmmm…I'm totally over it" I honestly said

"I'm glad that that is the case because…I could not wait a second more" And to honor her words, she did not wait a second to lift me in her arms impetuously and carrying me hastily to the bed, where she dropped us unceremoniously. As soon as our eyes met again, her rashness seemed subdued and observed me from above like someone who would contemplate a painting trying to understand its meaning "What have you done to me?" She inquired with accusatory tone, but the tenderness behind the words made me understand what she really meant. I caressed the wet strands of her hair and tucked them behind her ears lovingly while answering…

"Probably the same as what you have done to me" She pondered my words and a sweet smile was drawn on her face

"That's impossible" She said slightly shaking her head in denial and kissed me, giving me no time to refute her statement. What did she mean by that? That what she caused in me was not comparable to what I caused in her? There would be time to discuss that. My mind was thrown into oblivion and my body took over all my senses and I let her to fill me in every possible way, feeling whole again and again in her hands.


	38. Chapter 38

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Guys, I'm so so so so sooooo sorry for the delay. My life is crazy right now, I'm so tired that when I have time to write, my mind is very slow and I can't find a way to make the story progress, I have ideas but it is impossible for me to write them because of the...LACK OF WORDS! hahahaha. You must also remember that English is not my first language. I think I can not promise you when I will update again, because lately it has been impossible for me to fulfill my promises. That does not mean that I'll leave the story aside! I will continue writing but I can't bear with the pressure of meeting a deadline and people asking me to update because they are waiting for me to do it since I promised them a date and so on (it's my fault really for promising things)...you got my point. What I can promise is that I will continue with the story, and write as quickly as I can! Don't worry guys, honestly I will not abandon this story! I SWEAR! I also want to apologize because I have not had time to attend to your wonderful reviews in the comment section, but you should know that I read each and every one of your comments and they make me really happy, and at the same time I feel terrible for dissapointing you with my delays D:

Anyway...Here I leave you a new chapter, and I hope you can forgive me for my delay (I wrote an extra long chapter as a huge THANK YOU for your infinite patience) I love you guys! you are the best!

 **CHAPTER XXXVIII (ALEX'S POV)**

Maybe what I was about to do was the most reckless thing in the world. Throughout the day, I had had the opportunity to make a small visit to the cells of darkness but I restrained myself from doing so with all my strength, refusing to succumb to my weakness. I had left Nicky behind when we were almost at home, wanting to get to _her_ as soon as possible, but before going directly to her, I actually pondered for a while seeing the immensity of the castle from a distance with the sight nailed in the direction of the cells, tempted to make that visit; it would be so quickly that nobody was ever going to know about it. At the nick of time, her celestial voice was the one that prevented me from going there, as if she were my conscience warning me to do the right thing, making me turn away from evil. I was pleased with her so timely call and then I did not waver when choosing her. That had been the best option, although my undermined body could not say the same; I was already quite weakened and I still had not recovered my strength since the last time I went to the cells. To make matters worse, she seemed to have drained the little energy left in me in the bathtub and even so, my desire for her was so immeasurable that I could not help but want more of her, no matter the consequences; my hunger for her could not be subdued not even in my destabilized state. It was a completely crazy and uncontrolled thing to do, but I could not care less about my wellbeing. The only thing that moved me at that moment was to taste her arousal, that I smugly knew with certainty was plentiful after the things she had done to me.

I imprisoned her against the bed, my mind working faster than my body thinking already about all the things I wanted to do to her. Her blazing skin and her wet moans exuded raw craving right into my mouth; she had already given herself to me before I could even own her properly. I ripped off her clothes without caring to damage her garments; I could always replace her clothes. It infuriated me slightly to feel the rough lace fabric of her corset; apparently she had submitted again to that stupid habit that turned out to be so inconvenient for me in our heated encounters. I did not say anything; after all, she had kept her word by not using the offensive garment for some days to please me. If I was not careful with her dress, less careful I was going to be with the corset; I paid my frustrations with that stupid piece of clothing wishing to damage it beyond repair, and leave it completely tattered, impossible to wear for her. She drowned her modest whimpers in my mouth while I ripped off the rest of her clothes, until leaving her upper body partially uncovered with torn pieces of lace. Despite my brutality, I managed to keep a slow and tender pace, always careful not to hurt her while I was so blinded by my primal needs.

"I'm going to feast on you…" I said with ragged breath breaking the deep kiss, as if I wanted to warn her in advance "Would you like that?" I asked her with devilry feeling suddenly wicked, always wanting to pluck those reddish tones of shame from her beautiful face. My words made her shudder and a slight sign of fear was reflected in her eyes, a fear I had already registered in her so many times before, every time I made her face the unknown; perhaps she was sensing my intentions to introduce her to something new, to teach her a fresh lesson. The fins of her perfect nose throbbed and she let me know about her hidden yearnings through the revived carmine of her slightly parted lips. Trembling but determined, she nodded very slowly. Once I obtained her consent, I did not know where to start to fulfill my mission. I assessed her wonderful perky tits that never failed to water my mouth; it seemed the best part of her to begin with but in my mind another image was formed "Turn around" I said dangerously in a voice of command. Her puzzlement was clear, and I knew she was going to ask "Don't ask questions and do as I say…" I told her before she could ask feeling tremendously aroused when she immediately started to turn around under me to lie down on her stomach…

"Like…this?" She asked sheepishly over her shoulder

"Perfect…" I purred delighted. It's all I could say when she had left her body entirely at my disposal. It never ceased to amaze me how willing she always seemed to do anything I asked her. I leaned down towards her pressing my naked front on her back still partly covered with the remains of her clothes and kissed her right cheek ever so fondly "You trust me, right?" I delivered the answer softly on the entrance of her ear causing her to shiver a little; I had already asked her that question over and over again, and I already knew what the answer would be, still, I would never stop asking her the same thing. I had to admit that I enjoyed greatly hearing her say it, but in the other hand, it was a question I did more to reassure her when I wanted to try something that was new to her.

"I do" She admitted as a confession that should only be heard by me

"Then let me _take care_ of you" I repeated her earlier words with a smile, thinking about if she had planned the whole bathtub event, or if it had been a lucky accident…

I picked up her hair with my fingers to toss it sweetly aside and uncover her shoulders and neck. I kissed the side of her face that was exposed to me and the shell of her ear, her skin was hot like red coal and she was fighting to keep her erratic breathing stable, but she failed when my lips began to descend down her right shoulder. I finished removing the annoying pieces of clothes that still hung from her upper body revealing the smooth canvas that was her back, a pristine extension of skin about to be spoiled with the attentions that my mouth had planned for her. I traced the length from shoulder to shoulder with moist and generous kisses, sucking delicately the soft skin and giving her little bites in between. I traveled without directions across her back, without leaving a single inch without touching, without kissing, without licking; I explored the whole extension up and down, her ribs on both sides; that last thing made her giggle uncontrollably, and since I wanted to be good, I tried to avoid those areas. I enjoyed and learned devotedly every inch of her silky skin, but above all things I took pleasure from her sounds of contentment that kept flowing from her mouth with great ease, a melody that I could well listen to eternity.

Her body grew eager as my lips were heading south, towards the elevation of her butt cheeks, so tempting to my mouth. I just kept observing the high outline while I descended down her back, growing anxious as my lips crawled closer and closer to their target. Even so, I prolonged the encounter as much as I possibly could, but her body made it insufferable to me. When my lips reached the lowest part of her back, and my left hand began to slide down her breeches to uncover her soft curved contour, her hips rose indiscreetly making the shape of her butt more pronounced, a clear request that reminded me of her needs. I got on my knees to finish sliding her breeches down to her ankles and give it a last pull to free her legs. I took pleasure in the image for some seconds, observing her in her entirety, a work of art. When I saw her intentions to turn around I saw myself in the moral obligation to truncate her plans by posing my body on her back, pressing her without escape against the mattress while smoldering my naked front on her hot skin.

"Uh uh…" I said above her ear reproachfully "I did not say you could change your position" She was restless under my playful domination and her obvious annoyance turned out to be quite entertaining "I want you just like this" I said with severity, although in reality, if she had tried to change her position again, I would have never forced her to do otherwise.

She seemed to give up and remained calm, with her hands buried under the pillow that held her head. I rewarded her obedience with an affectionate kiss above her ear, and peppered her right cheek with the same caring. So, I began the exciting descent down her back again, faster and more determined, without stopping in the already traveled way. I appeased my own needs rubbing my body against hers, very careful that my breasts remained in contact with her at all times, caressing her velvety skin with my nipples. I only stopped for a moment when they were at the height of her sweet back cheeks, ecstatic with the feeling of my chest pressed deliciously against them. I continued descending positioning my face right in front of the area I had been longing to for so long. I felt her body tensing infinitely, squeezing her buttocks by my proximity to that part of her. She tried to raise her head and look down over her shoulder but when my mouth gave the first bite to her fleshy cheek, she collapsed against the pillow releasing a heavenly sound of gusto; needless to say, I did not cause her any harm, I wouldn't dare to damage such a delicate trait. I only used the necessary force to cause that intense pleasure accompanied with the right amount of discomfort, never crossing her pain threshold. I started to feast on her tight sweet buttocks, playfully biting the meaty skin. The smell of her arousal seemed to condense with her own heat, impregnating the air around us with its subtle fragrance flooding my nose and causing turmoil inside of me. I settled more comfortably on her, giving freedom of movement to my right hand and supporting my weight with my left elbow on the mattress, next to her hip.

My free hand wandered down tracing slightly the groove of her butt with my fingertips until reaching the lower part, where the humidity accumulated severely. I cupped her wet sex from behind coating my palm and fingers with her hot slobbery juices in an instant. I smiled against the skin of her voluptuousness when I heard her muffled moan against the pillow; I could only imagine her, biting the bag of feathers to stop herself from moaning out loud. Receptive as always, she parted her legs, embracing without doubt anything that I gave her. I started to gently slide my fingers along her soaked folds, avoiding that specific point that I knew was aching for my attentions. I tempted the surroundings of her entrance, from where it seemed to spring an incessant stream of urge. She shifted the center of her body trying to match her sensitive bud with the tip of my fingers, but I disregarded her wishes deliberately pulling my fingers away from her heat.

"So impatient…" I said with mischief "We are going to have to work on that…" To back up my words, she let out a snort charged with frustration.

I took her sex again in the palm of my hand and I felt her nuisance subside slightly when I began kneading ever so faintly granting her some comfort, a subtle promise that the best part was yet to come. Not wanting to torture her for too long, I found her pulsing clit with the tip of my middle finger and I began to caress it painfully slowly, barely touching it with my pad, but even that slight stroke caused an intense response in her; she arched her back as much as she could in her position and whined delightfully low; maybe I would torture her a little more, I thought.

I wanted to enjoy every little moment before the unpleasant sensation, that I knew would come, replaced the pleasure of making her come; I would lengthen the moment no matter what. She tried to pick up the pace of my slow caress moving her hips in an exquisite measured swing searching desperately to increase the contact with my fingers, and after some slow rocking movements she began to request a faster development. I had to stop her whereabouts by placing my left forearm on her lower back, forcing her hips to stop; I could not let her reach her climax so soon. She did not seem happy about the boundaries set by me as she complained loudly in the midst of her dreamy whimpers. After torturing her little sensitive bud for what I thought was an appropriate time, I decided to change my direction; I wanted to be inside of her. She was evidently more than ready to welcome me in her sanctuary, still, I made sure to coat my fingers in her copious wetness to slowly enter her, stretching lusciously her sweet tightness, that in that position would feel tighter than ever.

At first, I tempted her with just my index finger, reaching every corner of her velvety haven. Her insides not only welcomed me gladly but I could almost feel it inviting me to go further with engaging spasms that enfolded my finger as to never let it go. Since she was so eager, I withdrew my hand against her wishes, only to reward her and instant later with the most gratifying filling sensation by burying two fingers at a slow pace, moving deeper and deeper into her, up to my knuckles until there was no way to go any further, only stopped by the shape of her. When I reached her deepest depths, she sobbed with delight and drowned against the pillow. I stayed there, motionless, giving her time to get used to the intrusion, careful not to strain the stiffness of her entrance too much. While that happened, my lips wandered through the silky mounds of her buttocks, as velvety as the skin of a peach. I gave her kisses full of affection as I began thrusting her leisurely after some seconds, soothing her for any discomfort that my fingers could cause, although her sweet muffled cries were proof enough that my movements caused her anything but pain. The rhythm of her breathing and the constancy of her moans kept encouraging me to increase the drive of my gentle thrusts, but I resisted the urge to meet her demands and I maintained a slow but unrelenting shove…

"Alex…" I heard her say above her moans. She said my name as a request and the walls of her womb contracted uncontrollably around my fingers revealing her demands to me, but I was not willing to please her at the moment. I wanted to continue enjoying her like that, painlessly, but I did not know for how long I could make her last, or for how long I could keep delaying the moment. I embraced the inevitable and gave up, taking a deep breath of acceptance and began the stirring movement of my fingers, gently caressing the exact point on her front wall, exercising the right amount of pressure. She sobbed sweetly submitting herself to the sensation. I was deeply torn between making her come and avoiding pain… "Alex…" She muttered again with heaviness, inadvertently increasing the eagerness of my drive; nothing was as thrilling as hearing her say my name in the thrive of her arousal.

Although my lips were more than happy traveling along her curves, I felt so distant from her, which was ridiculous since I could not be closer to her than at the time, but what I really wanted was to smother her cries of pleasure with my mouth and hold her in her fall. With my fingers unwilling to abandon the safety of her warmth, I began crawling up her back, licking the way up her spine. She turned her head resting on her right side, changing slightly her position; maybe her neck was beginning to become stiff. I licked the entrance of her ear and kissed her cheek with affection. My closeness pleased her enormously and she did not hesitate to welcome my lips when I kissed the corner of her mouth. I leaned as much as I could in my position to capture her lips fully, holding my position with my left arm. She tried to reach me with her left hand but as soon as I perceived her intentions I increased the thrust, so her hands clung fiercely to the sheets, the pillow under her head, and anything that was within her reach as I collected every moan that escaped from her mouth with great care…

"You have no idea how much I'm enjoying you now…" I spoke to her, with the intention of inviting her to an exchange of improper words and talks. She opened her heavy lids dazzling me with the blue sky of her eyes, ablaze with boldness. We engaged ourselves in a contest to keep our eyes on each other "Are you enjoying yourself?" I asked innocently, while I accentuated the pressure on her soft innermost with the pad of my fingers making her gasp mutely "Never mind, I think I already know the answer" I smiled smugly at her registering in her face the pleasure that every small change in the movement of my fingers caused in her.

Stealthily, my thumb began to wander along her crevice, coating the area with her juices and approaching ever so lightly to the rim of her other entrance. She shivered when my thumb was almost at it, her buttocks clenched at the new incursion and a frown was formed on her face, I withdrew my thumb immediately, not wanting to be too invasive and assessed her gestures again as I repeated the movement a little more restrained. Her buttocks relaxed a little bit, and her frown of wonder became a frown of delight while I got closer to the border. She closed her eyes unable to keep them open when my thumb landed right on her other entry, applying some pressure above it. She was squirming with joy when the circling moves of my thumb on the new spot joined to the orchestrated perseverance of my fingers inside of her. The new addition seemed to push her a little closer to the edge. Her face was one of deep concentration; she seemed to be trying to discern what she thought about the fresh inclusion; I couldn't help but smiling amused at her reactions…

"Do you like it?" Again I was the one to speak. That time she did not open her eyes. She just nodded with great effort "Tell me…how much you like it?" I wanted to make her talk, but she was too immersed in her own sensations, gasping repeatedly and failing in delivering the words that were stuck in the back of her throat.

I noticeable increased the cadence of my thrust bumping my fingers against the springy spot that soon would not bear even one single beat. Her breathing turned raw, it came directly from her depths. Her body tensed extraordinarily and her insides began to tremble, greedily wrapping my fingers; she was on the verge, but the pressure of my thumb on her rim was what caused her to rush into the orgasm. She came with an unexpected force as I had never seen before. Her body convulsed violently and her centre seemed to suck up my fingers deeper into her. The vocal manifestations were muffled by the feather pillow, to which she clung with keenness, as if it was the only thing that could keep her afloat in the ocean of her climax, and never better said, since from her core her arousal gushed out bountifully, soaking my hand even more and the sheets under her, leaving them drenched with zeal. I enjoyed her like never, burying my nose in the hair of her nape where her natural essence was untainted.

In the middle of the zest I had not realized that I was not in pain. For the first time, all my senses were unharmed; for the first time I could fully take pleasure in her culmination without the shadow of pain obscuring the moment… _Why?..._ I thought. Not that I missed the feeling obviously, but I was really curious about why would that happen. I held her in the fall while I could not stop thinking about what had changed. Her tremors were subdued little by little as I draw every single wave of pleasure from her with my joyful fingers. I kissed her left shoulder moistly, waiting for her to turn her face towards me. She did so after a while and I crushed my lips against hers devotedly; her mouth was lazy, maybe I had drained the liveliness from her after such a forceful discharge. I stroked the skin of her face with my lips and the tip of my nose listening to her breathing becoming more regular and the beating of her heart resuming a normal pace as the time went by. When I sensed her in a peaceful calmed state, I retrieved my right hand, softly taking my fingers out from her, causing a slight discomfort that was clear in the grimace on her face, despite my kindness.

"Shhhh…" I muttered on her ear appeasing her little cries of complaint "Are you alright?" I asked her once my fingers were out of her, no longer sheltered by the heavenly warmth.

"Yes…" She whispered almost unheard, but I saw her left cheek rising, the corner of her mouth depicting a beautiful half smile.

I gently turned her over by her shoulders; she was like a rag doll, her limbs were deedless, but her drowsy eyes looked brighter than never. I lay over her, careful not to put my whole weight on her and kissed her eyelids, her brows, her cheeks…What would I not kiss from her? I finally settled my lips on her burning mouth, reddened by the recent flush. Her tongue came out to play and I let her dig into my mouth; I tasted her sweet and velvety tongue sucking it with exquisiteness and murmuring sounds of bliss. Her arms regained some strength and they rose to reach my neck with her hands, clinging to me with renewed enthusiasm. Her fingers invaded my hair and I felt her nails digging deliciously into my scalp, bringing my face closer to her, although it was already impossible to shorten the space between us, we were about to become one. My skin against her bareness registered the slight increase in the temperature of her body. Inside her was beginning to forge a new wave of craving that promised to raze my reason…she raised her hips scrumptiously looking for some contact with the leg I kept between her thighs.

"Mhmmm…" I uttered as her scorching moisture was plastered on my left thigh "You have not had enough?" I asked pleased with the fresh urgency of her body

"I don't think I'll ever have enough of you…" She said unwaveringly, without restraints, and heavens! My mouth dried out hazardously and I just thought of a way to quench the thirst

"Is that so?" I barely got to say in my shaken condition. What kind of creature she was? How could she hold so much power over me? I felt defenseless under her dozy stare

"I never would have thought that _this_ could be so wonderful…" She spoke softly "I never would have thought that…" Her face was serious; each word was loaded with great significance "That you would be the one who made me feel something so… _boundless_ "

"The same happens to me…" I was dumbfounded, lost for words "You are everything to me Pipes...everything before you, it means nothing…everything that comes after you…would mean nothing" At that point, to think that there would be anything after her, was not possible. I knew, according to the prophecy, that I would surely not be able to live to witness her absence, _luckily_ …no doubt, I preferred to die before that happened " _This_ … _you_ … _now_ …is all that matters to me" A veil of tears blurred her gaze. They were not tears of sadness; on the contrary, her lips sketched the most authentic of smiles…

Our heated moment had been interrupted momentarily by our mutual confessions, but as soon as our lips met, by mutual agreement we resumed our previous appetite. Her fingers kept playing sneakily in my hair and I continued providing her with the contact of my thigh for her appeasement. The rocking of her hips was barely incipient, not daring to be too obvious. How much I adored her coyness, it contrasted so much with her rare moments of boldness, although lately she seemed to be growing in that aspect. My left hand went down her body, and molded itself to the contour of her right hip, cheering her to move her core more profusely against my upper leg.

"Come on…" I said in midst of a deep kiss "Move as you really want" I assured her burying my fingers into her skin. As soon as she registered my words, her swinging became more manifest, rubbing her core along my thigh, soaking my skin with her dampness "Arghhh… _fuck!_ " I muttered harshly maddened by the feeling, taking her slightly aback

"Is…something wrong?" She asked cautious, with ragged breath. I looked into her azure eyes and grinned at her naughtily

"You drive me crazy…" I told her with accusatory tone "One day…I will not be able to stand how marvelous you are…" I said humorously making her release a labored giggle in between her worn out panting.

I could tell she relaxed a little bit after being sure that there was nothing wrong, and focused again solely on soothing her needs, clashing her sex again against my thigh. Since I was feeling enormously ebullient, due to the absence of pain when she had just came so mightily, I wanted to make the best of the current situation and continue to feast on her without thinking about the consequences; later I would have time to reflect on it, in the mean time, I would let myself to get carried away by her needs and the moment. She tried to pull me by the neck to draw me to her mouth but I got rigid avoiding the encounter, only to mess with her and because my lips were eager to reach another part of her, to touch other lips…I buried my face in the crook of her neck nibbling delicately the soft curve; I wandered around that area long enough to make her impatient. With her hands tangled in my hair, she began to pull cautiously from it, trying to change the course of my journey across her collarbone down her chest. I ignored her subtle hints until the pulls became stubbornly intrepid making me chuckle blowing cold air against her burning skin, to then fulfilling her little unobtrusive demands, not without upsetting her a little more before I could go on…

"Tell me…" I sighed deeply above her ear shell "Where do you want my lips the most?" To answer my question, she raised her chest propping up her hardened nipples to press them mouthwateringly against my own "Mhmmm…I'm dying to welcome them in my mouth…" I said with raw desire, longing to soothe the painful stiffness of her nipples with my tongue and lips "Would you like that?" I inquired but she was still reluctant to speak out loud. She was not an enthusiast of words during sex, which I thought was a terrible detail that needed to be corrected subtly and with some patience.

I settled for her introverted nod, assuring me that her chest was where she wanted me and I went down on her, going through the valley of her chest and climbing the meek heights of her mounds on both sides, licking and kissing the hills to the top, crowned by the reddish pink tips that tasted like candy in my mouth. The smutty games that my mouth performed with them made her twitchy under my hands. She placed her hands on top of my head and pushed me down her body; I knew exactly what she wanted but I was not going to make it easy for her, although it was not easy for me to delay it either. She muttered something inaudibly as a sign of protest, while increasing the force of the push over my head after my immovable state…

"Something wrong?" I asked evilly against the center of her chest, where my lips could feel the inconsistent beating of her crazed heart. Her fingers slipped between my hair, grabbing a bunch of it with full hands, I felt the tightness with which she clung to it "You want me down _here_?" I inquired tracing lightly her wet slit with my hand, as if it were obligatory to acknowledge the area in need…

"Yes…" She breathed out pleading, pulling my hair again to go down her

I kissed her breasts, her belly, all the way down the line that led from her navel to her dark patch, exactly where she wanted me to go. She spread out her thighs to their utmost extension, revealing her scorching sex to me, an image that made my breathing to become unsettled. I resisted the urge to drink from her immediately, and I settled contentedly between her legs with my tongue jumping with anticipation in my mouth. I peppered the inside of her thighs, tracing the soft skin with my lips down to her center, but always denying at the last moment the contact she needed the most. As I went further between her legs, my lips became more persistent, as the clutch of her hands on my hair did. I nibbled with tender resolution the thin skin where her thighs and her core meet and finally, I rewarded her for the long wait, gathering all her moisture with my flattened tongue, running it painstakingly from the entrance to the apex, where her clit was completely exposed out of its hood, still swollen and raw from her recent climax; I could only imagine how sensitive it would be in that moment. I repeated the motion a couple of times to then sucking and kissing her wet folds, increasing her cravings. Her convulsed mouthfuls of air and the pulls of my hair that started to hurt only faintly, warned me that I should not continue with those wicked and mean games.

To put an end to her torment, I wrapped the throbbing bud lovingly with my tongue, promising her an early relief. I felt her fingers loosening their grip on my hair, but her hands remained entangled in it, giving me constant caresses that made the skin behind my neck to bristle with delight. She rose her pelvis seeking for more contact, since the stroke of my tongue was almost untouchable at first, circling the sensitive region around the bud, just with my tip, in a spiral move that would become more incisive as I approached the center of it; as I came to it, I sheltered the flushed beam in my mouth and sucked it sensitively and she began to dance for me, rocking her hips back and forth as I tried to keep my lips attached to her core, giving her as much as she wanted from me. She uttered wild cries as her movements became more acute and precise, aligning her clit exactly with my sucking lips, stubbornly fixed on her. To make her come, I just had to tap rhythmically her clit with the tip of my tongue for a few moments. Her legs squeezed together, trapping my head vehemently as she began to ripple on the bed like a wave on the sea; her cries and whimpers I heard them distant, maybe because her thighs muffled the sound as they covered my ears, or maybe because of the other sensation that was beginning to set within me. I was immobilized with panic knowing what would come and cringed waiting for the blow…

A tearing sensation seized every limb of my body; I could almost hear the ripping sound of my skin as an unearthly force dismembered my wholeness. I felt a blaze coming from my entrails that made me think that I would burst into flames. For the first time I was frightened by the feeling, since it was nothing like the previous times, that to a certain extent I could say it was already familiar and sufferable, but nothing like the living hell that had just broken loose inside me. I tried to find her with my senses, to hear her, to smell her or touching her; it had helped me regain my senses in the past, but then I was so stunned that my body could not register anything aside from the piercing pain. I was sure that I would die, that my end had finally arrived, but as the seconds passed, or minutes our hours, I couldn't know for sure, the pain remained and it was the only evidence that somehow, I was still _alive…_ so as long as I felt pain, I still had hope. With that thought, I embraced the flames and the excruciating ache, facing it with resolve; after all, at some point, it would have to be over, or so I hoped…

"Alex?..." I heard _her_ calling me from above the surface. I was submerged in the bottom of the ocean…"Alex!" I tried to pick up her voice among all the other sounds

A high pitched hum overlapped the sound of her voice… _Please, make it stop…_ I wanted to tell her but my voice was nowhere to be found. After all, if she was the cause of my pain, she would probably be the only one who could alleviate it; but how was she going to do it? If she had no idea of what was happening, and I could not tell her no matter what. I would never tell her that her love was causing me pain and killing me slowly. Between the flashes of light that dazzled me unbearably, I saw a shadow hovering me…

"Alex!" The shadow said, and then I knew it was her…I squinted to discern her face between the lights. The humming sound invading my ears subdued ever so slightly, but noticeably enough; and her voice become easier to hear "Alex please…say something…" She cried mournfully. I felt a warming sensation on my cheeks and after some seconds I understood that her hands were holding my face "Can you hear me?" I could finally observe her face clearly, her eyes swollen and reddened by the tears. I still could not find my voice, so I just shook my head in a nodding motion "Oh heavens!" She said in a sigh of relief and she pounced on me, shaping my lips with hers devotedly. I tasted the salt of her tears on her lips…She withdrew a little breaking the quick kiss but kept her face barely an inch apart "Look at me…" She said with importance, although it was an unnecessary thing to say since I already had my eyes fixed on her "What's wrong with you?" She asked me cautiously "What…what can I do for you…? Please I need you to talk to me" Her voice expressed her deep concerns about me. Her worries hurt me more than anything in the world, so I gathered all my strength to reassure her…

"I told you already…" I spoke tattered "I could not stand how wonderful you are" I said with light tone, forcing a raspy laugh in the end. She did not laugh though…The crease in the middle of her eyebrows grew deeper…

"You think this is funny?" She spitted with anger; apparently my state was not a subject that she could take lightly "I _demand_ to know the truth…" Her hands held my face with more force and she stared at me with resentful eyes that led me to think that she felt deceived by me, but her gestures softened immediately and her eyes shone with a fresh layer of tears "I…I _deserve_ to know the truth…" I pondered about it and felt an infinite pang of guilt because she was right, she deserved to know the truth, but I could not tell her the actual truth…I could not put that weight on her.

"Alright…you are right…" I told her sternly. She gave me the necessary time to recover, giving me time to think about a nice lie, and ready to put on the best façade, ready to lie.

Nobody could beat me at it…I was the master of deception; I could not take pride in it in that moment, when I was preparing to lie to her. I took a deep breath, as if I was about to confess a huge matter, conditioning the receiver to believe each one of my words. Only then I was aware of the change in our position. She had probably turned me around in the middle of my astonishment, leaving me lying on my back, and she was on me, straddling my legs… I propped myself up, to sit. She clung to my shoulders on the process, reluctant to let me go, and observed me deeply, waiting for an explanation…

"I did not want you to know about it because I didn't want you to worry…" I diverted my eyes from hers, to make her believe that I was struggling with telling her the _truth…_ "It happens to me every so often…" I trailed off…

"What is it?" She pressed me softly to go on and then I locked our eyes…

"I become weak…" I barely said as if I was ashamed to accept it "Remember when I told you about my power getting stronger by the growing evil in the recent years…?"

"Yes…you said the darkness had never been so vast…" She remembered our distant conversation in one of our walks during her recovery; it seemed to have happened years ago

"Well…apparently, the situation seems to have taken an unexpected turn…darkness is retreating" I said calmly, adding some truth…because that was actually what was happening, what she would never know is that she was responsible for it…

"What does that mean to you? Will you be fine?" She wondered caressing my hair worried about me

"Of course I'll be fine…it has happened before…" I assured her smiling at her fondly "You don't have to worry about it…I promise…" I wrapped her petit waist with my hands

"I still don't understand…" She said thinking about something "What does that have to do with… _you know_ " If not for her delicious blush, I would not have understood what she was referring to. She wanted to know why I got weaker when we had sex…

"Because…" It would be tricky to explain to her. Again I tried the scam of adding some true to the lie "Nothing makes the darkness weaker than the light…and you…" I saw into her soul mesmerized by the beauty of it "You are full of light" I brought her closer to me by her waist; there would never be enough intimacy between us…

"So…you mean that I… _weaken_ you…" She said as if trying to understand but ending her words with a certain tone of doubt…

"Something like that…" I had to admit

"But I don't want to _weaken_ you…" She said apprehensively. I chuckled softly to soothe her

"I'm perfectly fine with it…trust me…" Of all the things that could destroy me, without a doubt, she was almost like a prize…a prize with a high cost

"Am I hurting you?" Her voice left her lips in a faint murmur, and her eyes were full with dread at the prospect, facing the possibility of being able to hurt me. It was time to lie again…

"No…you are not _hurting_ me" I said unflappably, making it sound like if it were something ridiculous and impossible to do "Nothing can…" I added with resolve "Besides…have you seen your size?" I wondered mockingly "I don't think you could hurt not even a tiny mouse…" My light words finally pulled out a smile from her lips, although she tried really hard to conceal it behind a face of offense…

"Are you calling me a weakling?" She demanded to know with annoyance. I reached her hands that were hung over my shoulders and circled her fragile wrists with my fingers in an inexorable grip. She put up some resistance, but not enough as to counteract my force. I brought her hands behind her back and held them together effortlessly to answer her question. I smiled smugly at her and she let out a displeasure snort "Well, maybe I'm not strong enough to break a bathtub…but I'm not a weakling!" Her own joke had turned on her; then she was really upset…

"No…you are not a weakling…" I said with admiration "You are the _strongest_ person that I have ever met"

"Now you are just being condescending" She didn't buy my words

"But I'm serious…your spirit and character are unbreakable…" I was not saying that just for her sake "Strength is not about being able to break a bathtub…which by the way, it needs immediate replacement…" I pondered making her laugh at the memory. I released her hands anticipating her intentions; she brought her arms again to my shoulders and her hands slid into my hair…

"Maybe for a slightly larger tub?" She asked tentatively

"Whatever you want…" I agreed joyfully, thinking immediately of the advantages that a larger bathtub would have and the endless possibilities

"Promise me…" Her words drew me out of my reverie and their imperativeness took me aback

"Ammm…yes I promise…I'll take care of the bathtub first thing in the morning"

"No…not that…you didn't let me finish…" I then waited for her to go on "Promise me that you'll be alright…that you are not in pain"

"I promise you…" It was hard for me to deliver those words, I did not like to lie to her

"And…what would happen if darkness keeps retreating?"

"Nothing…it'll probably make me weaker and weaker…but that's all…" I wanted to stop talking about it, I was beginning to feel really bad for lying to her "I've already been through this before, it's just a transient condition…" She listened to me carefully; I could see that she believed everything I had told her, but in spite of it, in her face the shadow of concern remained "I'm immortal, remember?" It was the only fact that could maybe reassure her, and it did. I was suddenly surprised with a powerful hug; she hung on me with fondness and buried her face in the crook of my neck

"You really scared me…" She let me know with immeasurable vulnerability

"I'm so sorry…" I held her in my arms and caressed her back with my hands. We stayed engaged in a permanent hold until I sensed with my fingertips her skin bristling with cold as a small shudder crossed her entire body "Come on…you are getting cold…"

We lie down against the pillows in the headboard, and I helped her wrap herself with the sheets and without telling her, she came to lay over me, with her head on my chest and we let the peaceful silence flood the entire room. My fingers began to comb her long hair, untangling some small knots careful not to break even a single hair of hers. She seemed distracted by drawing small patterns with the tip of her middle finger on my chest, cautiously tracing the deep scar from time to time…

"Did it hurt?" She asked very softly while her finger traveled along the blackened crack, unwilling to break the comfortable silence. I understood she was referring to the fact of having ripped out my own heart. I pondered her question as my mind remembered the pain vividly, of my own hand puncturing my chest and my fingers wrapping themselves around the beating pulp…

"Yes…" There was no reason to lie then "But just a little bit…" Still I tried to playit down. She stopped the caress of her finger and shifted her body a little to raise her head and kiss me right above the scar in a gesture that touched every fiber of my body, determined to erase the ancient remnants of pain. I chuckled pleasantly surprised by her adoring demonstrations "On second thought…" I began saying and she raised her face from my chest to look up at me "The pain was truly unbearable…" I displayed a gesture of ache so inflated that she knew I was just kidding. She finished climbing on me to smack her lips on mine…After breaking the kiss she stared at me from above with cryptic eyes and the beam of a smile lifting the right corner of her mouth…

"You are so beautiful…" I raised my eyebrows in delight for her words of admiration "I think I have never told you that…"

"Yes you did…" She frowned with doubt and I proceeded to remind her of the moment "The night we met, when you asked me to uncover my face because you wanted to see me in the eye…" I said with certain pride remembering her astonishment when she had saw my face for the first time

"Ohhh…yes…I guess I did…" She said awkwardly

"But I like to hear it…so please, I want to hear you saying it over and over again…" I joked

"You like that, right? _People_ feeding your vanity…" Was it me, or was there certain grudge in her words?

"No…I only like it when you do it…" The acknowledgement of my beauty only made sense in her mouth

"Really?" She asked uncertain, but I could sense her satisfaction

"Only you…" I assured her with gravity, as a matter of life or death

"Sooo…" She began uncertainly. The blush on her cheeks and her distracted eyes avoiding my gaze warned me that she wanted to bring something up "Have not there been…other… _girls_ in your life?" _She is jealous…_ I thought amused

"No…" I denied unequivocally, since without a doubt, there had not been anyone like her. She gave me a skeptical look, obviously not buying my reply

"And you want me to believe that you have not been with other girls…" She retorted ironically

"If you want to know…yes, I have…" I openly admitted "But I never let them be part of my life" By her looks, I knew she did not like what she was hearing

"But you…you have shared…the bed…with them…" It was more a statement than a question

"Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?" I did not want to talk about those things with her…I did not want her to feel jealous of women I could not even remember their names o faces

"I…I don't know…" She blurted out "I was just…thinking about… _you_ …having lived so many years…" I observed her tenderly as she searched for words attempting not to stumble on them "I mean…I'm not an idiot…I was not expecting me to be the first woman in your… _bed_ …but…" Still, she kept her eyes away from my face "It is impossible for me to be with you…highly enjoying your… _expertise…_ and not to think about how you learned those things…" I then understood her point. If I were in her shoes, I would think the same; It already irritated me greatly thinking about _potato boy_ , and yet nothing had happened between them; she was completely mine, and nobody had ever dabbled in her virtuousness as I had done, yet, I felt a pang of jealousy "And then…your previous housekeepers…and the _rumors_ …" She continued and her last words made me alert…

"What rumors?" I inquired interrupting her. She froze as if she had realized that she had just made a mistake…

" _Ammm_ …nothing" She pathetically denied

"Piper…what rumors?" I grabbed her face forcing her to see me

"It's…nonsense…I'm just over thinking, I'm just being silly…" She was keeping something from me "Just forget what I said…"

"You are going to tell me right now what rumors you are referring to…" I delivered severely, she had no choice

"Fine…but please don't be mad…it was just a stupid thing" I tried to soften my gestures, encouraging her to speak "It happened…a while ago…the day…" She lowered her sight "The day I tried to escape" The ghost of my heart jumped inside my chest…she was about to confess why she had tried to escape. Only a few days ago she had promised to tell me about it, and I knew, from her previous unwillingness to tell me what had happened, that it was something that caused her uneasiness

"Hey…I won't be mad at you…I promise…no matter what" I had to chime in after a long silence on her part

"That day…after you left with Nicky I…I heard _something_ " I wanted to rush her slow pace, to finish hearing what had happened that damn day, but I gave her all the time in the world "A very stupid thing that I should not have paid attention to…"

"Alright…what did you hear?" But her pauses where so long that I couldn't help to press her, very gently, to go on with constant questions…

"You are probably going to laugh…" She let out a short awkward laugh "I heard that you…that you took pleasure by taking your servants to your bed and inflict them… _pain_ …" Her second laugh was a little bit lighter "I did not know you like I know you now, so I believed what I heard…I panicked…and that's why I tried to escape" Her face was full of shame "And now I see how stupid I was for believing those words…" The story would be funny if she had not been near death…as she laughed lightly, she noticed that I did not join her. Anger seized my body; I gritted my teeth so hard that I would swear they would end up exploding in a thousand little pieces. When she met my eyes, her wittiness was over. I was mad…but I was not mad at her, just as I had promised…

"Where did you hear that little story?" I held my raged voice and asked the question meticulously

"Around…" She said unclearly… _Around…_ I pondered silently while my gaze pierced her eyes.

"Never mind…I know exactly who said that to you" With resolve, I grabbed her by her shoulders and took her off me, pushing her to one side with ever so measured movements. My hands were already trembling with rage, so I had to be extremely careful around her; only I knew what I was capable of doing under that state, and I was afraid of having her near me. I got out of bed hastily and went to get dressed quickly

"Where are you going?" Her voice was trembling "What are you going to do?"

"Something that I should have done a long time ago…" I should have killed her as soon as I knew her intentions to poison Piper…

"Alex please…listen to me" I heard her approaching me from behind while I put on my boots. I dropped the right boot and turned around violently "Don't come any closer Piper…" I warned her strictly and she stopped immediately. She was wrapped in white sheets that she held tightly against her chest with both hands "I'm serious…stay away from me…" My words hurt her, but I needed to keep her away from

"You promised me that you would not get angry…" She tried to say as calmly as possible

"And I'm not, not at you…" When I saw that she had listened to my words, cleverly keeping a distance, I continued dressing…

"Alex please…just listen to me" She pleaded. If she was smart, she would know what my intentions were. Of course, she knew "It was a silly thing…it's actually my fault for having been so naïve…she probably just meant it as a stupid joke" She desperately tried to intervene on Sylvie's behalf. I was greatly irritated by her kindness

"It was not a joke Piper!" I growled at her making her walk backwards a couple of steps "She knew what she was doing…" Sylvie was a twisted woman, obviously she did it to scare her, and probably she had even encouraged her to escape "You almost die!" Apparently I need to remind her that the woman she was defending had planned to kill her twice "This is something that I would not tolerate…she will have to pay the consequences" I sentenced firmly and turned around away from her to pick up my cloak and leave…

"Alex don't, please" She said clinging to the cloak that I had already on me

"Piper…let go!" I anxiously admonished her, fearing to hurt her unintentionally. I took off my cloak to break free from her grip and then I prepared to disappear into thin air, but just before doing so, I felt the burning iron melting in my forearm…

"I forbid you to do it!" Said a familiar voice from behind, but in a tone that was foreign for me.

The burning sensation on my left arm ran through my body like a bolt. In a second, it left me completely vulnerable and dull. Like any threatened creature in a defenseless situation, my primal survival instincts took place, gathering all the strength and drive to fight the menace. I recoiled from the blazing sensation, withdrawing my arm violently to then turning around to face the threat releasing a daunting growl that resonated in the depths of my being. I observed the hazard drawing back, exuding a dense smell of fear…the intimidation seemed to be effective; the _attacker_ was not willing to get into a confrontation, and walked away without daring to turn its back to me, stumbling on the way and ended up putting as much distance it could while crawling backwards on the ground, with frightened eyes. Once the danger was diminished, I allowed myself to lower my defenses a little, without diverting my eyes from the hazardous creature and my mind began to work quickly, and only then I registered the beautiful woman on the floor, with shining eyes fixed on me and golden hair that fell over her shoulders, with her body propped against a corner of the room; a very familiar woman to me. My anger faded away, as another sensation replaced it; the feeling of endless shame _…What have I done?..._ I thought with vast dread while trying to recap what had just happened… _I attacked her…I attacked her…but she attacked me too…_ I pondered, still, I had no possible justification for what I had just done. I fell on my knees defeated by the weight of the events, reaching her height and observing her watchful eyes with unease…There was something stuck on the back of my throat; I wanted to throw up…

"Piper…" I don't know how I got to say her name. She heard me despite I had barely whispered it

"Alex…?" She whined like a wounded animal. The way she looked at me hurt me deeply. Her azure eyes were filled with distrust and her smell of fear was impregnated in the heavy air of the room…

"Pipes…" I told her tenderly "Please…don't be afraid…" I pleaded "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I told you…I warned you…" _Dammit!_ I had no excuse…what I had done was unforgivable, and added to the great mountain of guilt and shame that I already carried for the many times I had already disappointed her.

She cried inconsolably hugging her knees against her body, covered messily with the sheets she had taken from the bed. I loathed myself, and unfortunately I was in that moment the only one who could offer her comfort, although I was not sure if she was willing to accept it from me. I crawled slowly towards her, assessing her reaction with every inch I shortened between us…I got to her feet and in an infinite act of submission, I bowed towards her and placed my lips on her right instep and collapsed at her feet. My body trembled in a failed attempt to cry and my eyes burned with dry tears that would never reach to peek out of the corner of my eyes, since they were non-existent…as a heartless creature, I was unable to shed a single tear, but apparently I was fond of shedding the tears of others. After a long moment, in which I did not dare to get up off the ground, ashamed for my behavior, her crying stopped and I felt the sweet touch of her hand on my head. I knew she had forgiven me; that and more she let me know with the subtle caress of her fingers circling and swirling my locks of hair…

"I don't deserve you…" I was the first to speak…

"Alex…" There was a hint of pity in the way said my name… _Arghhh…_ I did not deserve her pity either "Come here…" She called me to her side, and how could I refuse that? With great effort, I propped myself up with my arms to get on my knees in front of her with my eyes never leaving the floor, but I did not approach her until she was the one who encouraged me to do it, grabbing my left hand with her right one pulling me towards her. I complied and sat down next to her. She snuggled against my left side and searched for my face with her left hand, forcing me to look at her "Don't ever say that…because I will not bear to hear it again" She spoke to me with tenderness; there was no trace of fear or hatred in her for what I had just done to her. Her kindheartedness was so immeasurable that it was enough to forgive anything and everyone…even me.

"I'm so sorry Pipes…" I would never get tired of repeating those words

"I know…" She caressed my right cheek with her hand and cupped the side of my face caringly. I let myself be comforted by her even though I did not deserve it

"Did I hurt you?" At some point I had to ask, even if I was afraid to do so. At first glance, she seemed alright, but I wanted to be sure…

"No, you did not…" She guaranteed with certainty, so I believed her "You just… _scared_ me a little bit" That last part I did not believe it. I had scared her, and a great deal

"And again…I apologize for that…" I said regretfully "I got really mad and…It is hard to control myself under those circumstances…I… _I lost myself…_ " I tried to explain as best as I could under her comprehensive look…

In reality, she had made me lose control when she took my arm to stop me; _that_ was what actually prompted me to _attack_ her, to _defend_ myself of the damage she was inflicting on me. My mind began to work on that matter, thinking again on the whole exchange; she had vanquished me as soon as her hands had a firm hold on my forearm.

"What are you thinking?" She interrupted my trail of thought

"Nothing…" I simply said shaking my head slightly and taking a deep breath "Maybe we should go to bed and rest…" I proposed and she agreed to it…

I took off my clothes and I got under the sheets, where she waited for me, always receptive to my company. The air was still rarified after the recent events. I was angered at myself, and she was somewhat unsure of herself when she came to meet me stealthily under the covers. She lay down on her left side and rested her head on a pillow…it saddened me that she did not look for my chest to lay down her head, as it was already customary when it came to go to sleep. I could not judge her cautiousness. I copied her position and faced her. She brought her hands to the space that was between our chests, and I did not hesitate a second to take them between mine, protectively, although a moment ago, I would not have been able to protect her not even from myself…

"I will not let you lose yourself again…" Her words sounded like a promise. I forced myself to smile at her tenderly; I would not be the one to tell her that her promise was already impossible to fulfill, since it had already been broken before it was even pronounced "Would you hold me?" She asked me sweetly sounding ever so frail. I could only imagine how susceptible she felt after what I had done…

"Always…" I let her know with a lump in my throat

"Like a spoon?" She wondered shyly making me laugh quietly

"Yes…" I said. She turned her back to me, giving me access to wrap her contour with my front, molding my body to hers, until fitting like puzzle pieces, only the sheets interposed between us; I slid my right arm under her head, so she could use it as a pillow, and my left arm surrounded her torso by her waist…I buried my nose in the back of her head, and in there, the smell of fear still remained "You know I would never hurt you, right?" I asked with dread…

"I know…" She finally said. But that did not calm my worries, since I did not even know if that was true for myself…for a moment, I had not recognized her, for a moment I was able to attack her as if she were the enemy…and on second thought, wasn't she _my_ enemy after all? I disregarded those thoughts immediately "Alex…" She said warily "I don't want you to harm her…" Even when I could not see her face, fear was plain in her voice, however, it did not stop her to ask me _that_ "Please…" I could not do that; Sylvie would have to pay for her mistakes, period. I had already given her an opportunity to redeem herself, and she had failed. The sentence was already made in my mind, and there was no going back…

"I won't _harm_ her…I promise" I used her own words, assuring her that in fact, I would not hurt her, strictly speaking. To tear a heart, if done correctly, could be the most painless death in the world, and I had a lot of practice "Now try to sleep" I told her squeezing her warmly…

It took her longer than usual to fall asleep; I paid attention to her breathing and knew that it would take her a while to do so. We did not exchange more words, I just limited myself to caress her hair lovingly, letting her know with each stroke how sorry I was for everything, while my mind wandered thinking and thinking on the recent events, focusing specifically in the harmful effect she clearly had on me; how she weakened me and bend my force so easily. In the entire world, there was only one thing that could tame my power… _white magic…_ Could she contain such gift within her? The idea seemed kind of unfeasible; she was a _mere_ human, and I did not mean to diminish her by referring to her as a _mere_ human…but she was, so, why would she have that gift? Was that the reason why she would be my doom?

Clearly, she had to have some kind of power. I had already pondered about it, but it never occurred to me that it could be _white magic_. Whatever it was, she evidently was not aware of her own power, and by not knowing it, she had no control over it; surely she had not intended to hurt me on purpose. Maybe, just maybe, that was the reason why she hurt me during sex, because she was not able to control it and it just _slip_ out of her hands… _her hands!_ I almost exclaim loudly, and thank goodness I did not do it because she had just fallen asleep. Everything made sense then, her hands were the key…I remembered all our sexual encounters; in each and every one of them, she had decimated me with that terrible feeling, sometimes worse than others, but in all of them I had ended up weakened and badly dazed; there was only one exception, and it had happened that same night, when I took her from behind. She had remained lying on her belly, and her hands never touched me, they remained clinging tightly to the sheets and the pillow at all times. If indeed, her hands were the source of her power, it could be magic after all.

Everything was too complicated, and the prospect was not promising…things could only get worse. For all I knew, her magic could become stronger or it could even be growing as it weakened me. When and how would all that mess end? I could not know…the only thing I knew for certain is that I could not put her at risk ever again…

I got extremely tired thinking about everything; it was too much to process. I almost felt the need of going to sleep to replenish my strength; of course, that was impossible to do, but for me, there were other ways to do so. Someone was waiting for me, without being aware of it, in some insignificant wooden cabin adjacent to the pigsty…someone with a dark heart as black as a crow's feather…


	39. Chapter 39

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello wonderful and beautiful people! I want to thank you all for the wonderful reception of the last chapter, your reviews are incredible! I bring you a new chapter, I hope you enjoy it! Your comments and suggestions are always welcome! So let me know about your opinion ;) Bye bye! see you soon :)

 **CHAPTER XXXIX (Piper's POV)**

I was standing in the middle of the forest, squinting hard, trying to see something in the darkness. I heard a shuffling in the dry branches and rotten leaves that covered the ground perennially. I turned around towards the sound and my heart beat with fear…

"Alex?" I asked in a firm voice, with the intention of disguising my apprehension. A shadow moved between the dead trees and then I noticed a pale face, as bright as the moon in the vast darkness of the forest. My heart calmed down right away. That pallor could only belong to one person… "Alex…" I breathed out infinitely relieved…

"What are you doing here?" She said hoarsely "You shouldn't be here…" She admonished me

"I…I was looking for you…" I explained

"You have to leave, immediately!" Her anxious tone took me aback. Her way of speaking to me was rude and distant, very different from the tenderness with which she always addressed me. It made me think that something was wrong

"Alex…what's going on?" I took a couple of steps towards her and asked her cautiously.

"Stay away!" She growled at me making my legs stop at once, not daring to contradict her "I don't want you to see me like this…I don't want to hurt you" In her sullen tone, I could perceive certain vulnerability; I wanted to get closer to her, to reach her and to show her that I was not willing to leave her side…

"You won't" I said stubbornly, resuming my steps, while somehow warily after her stern warnings. She watched me guardedly, allowing me for a moment to get closer. I was already a few steps away from her, close enough to look at her face in detail; with great coldness and ancient sadness, she told me…

"Yes, I will…" Her words froze my blood and made my hair stand on end; I came to a halt and the tip of my fingers tingled with the uneasiness that reigned all over my body because I knew she meant it, I knew her warning was real. My mind yelled at me… _Run!_ and my body felt the urge to turn around and do so, but my reckless heart remained unyielding and begged me to stay with her, no matter what…

"I don't care…" I sighed heavily, surrendering to my absurd cause "I already told you…I will not let you lose yourself again…" I uttered with trembling but resolute voice. A sardonic smile was outlined in her perfect lips, and in that instant I did not recognize her face filled with cynicism…

"You are too late for that" She told me pitifully, mocking my intentions "I've been lost for centuries…" She ended by saying as a verdict that filled me with the most absolute feeling of hopelessness. She gave me a compassionate look and a sad smile, feeling pity for me and turned around fusing herself with the darkness that surrounded us, leaving me alone…

"Alex…" Then I felt real panic "Alex!" I called her and my legs became responsive again, stumbling forward, trying to reach her, trying to find her "Alex!" I screamed in despair.

My feet then noticed a slight change in the ground, when I reached the place where only a few seconds ago she had been. The compact earth with the jumble of roots and the constant cover of rotten leaves became a soft irregular terrain, where it was impossible for me to maintain balance. I fell forwards, stamping my body flat. I breathed deeply to recover the breath lost by the blow, and a rotten smell flooded my mouth and my nose; it smelled like a slaughterhouse…I tried to stand up, supporting my hands on any surface; my right hand found a soft fleshy touch, and my fingers were covered by some sticky substance with musky smell that my mind immediately recognized as _blood_ as soon as I brought my hand closer to my nose to smell it _…_ I slipped forward losing the support of my arms and propped myself up again, and then, for the first time I focused my gaze on what was under me. My eyes were already adapted to the darkness, and it was not hard to discern the lifeless bodies under my knees and hands…I was over big lumps, scattered on the ground like sacks of flour…

I was paralyzed by the macabre image, only my eyes could move; to my right, I recognized a familiar face, paler than usual… _Sylvie…_ in front of me, the faces of the men she had killed in the woods under my frightened eyes. The rest of the faces I did not recognize, but they were just as appalling; she had killed them all. The screams got stuck in my throat and I gasped trying to breath. In the midst of terror, I tried to crawl searching for clear ground, but the bodies extended beyond my sight, invading every space of the forest's floor. Then I could finally scream, until leaving my throat torn apart. I closed my eyes to see no more and when I reopened them, there was no darkness or death.

I sat up in a swift jump and blinked several times while my mind left behind the recent gruesome images. My eyes traveled around, recognizing the room and I understood that I was no longer in the forests, but in the comfort of _our_ bed. My heart was beating fast, and a veil of cold sweat covered my skin… _It was a nightmare…just a nightmare…_ I repeated to myself over and over again, but not even that could reassure me. I immediately noticed her absence, which caused me more dismay than the nightmare itself.

If she had been there with me, I would find myself in the shelter of her arms, cradled by her while she helped me to calm down with her soothing voice telling me that it had only been a bad dream. I was sad not to find her with me. Since we started our life _together_ , I had never woken up in the middle of the night and run into her absence. She was always there, ready to hold me in a strong embrace and caress my hair lovingly until I went back to sleep. So after the nightmare and the events of that night, I could not help but wonder about her whereabouts.

"Alex?" I said loud enough to be heard in case she was in the bathroom but nobody answered…

I tried to calm down, letting myself be pacified by the warm twinkling glow of the fireplace, that even when it was placed some meters away from the bed, it bathed every inch of my skin with its ocher beam. My mind made me impossible to pacify my stressed state, as it began to think the worst. I inevitable thought of Sylvie, on her dead face from my dream… _Would she have gone to punish her in the middle of the night while I slept?..._ I felt a pang of guilt thinking the worst of her. She had promised me that she would not hurt her, so… _Why should I doubt her word?_ No, I couldn't do that, I trusted her blindly, period! I discarded those horrible thoughts from my mind feeling ashamed. In the other hand…the dream and her burst of anger when she had learned that Sylvie had been the one that propitiated my attempt to escape made it hard not to think the worst. I just had to remember the moment she had practically attacked me; she was beside herself, deranged, in a state that I could not believe possible in her if I had not seen her angry before, like when she had found me in the woods and she had killed those men in front of me, so absorbed in her anger that it seemed as if she had not noticed my presence until the killing was over.

That night she had warned me about it, she had told me to keep the distance and I had foolishly ignored her words, never believing she could hurt me, but apparently I was wrong. It was as if the rage alienated her from everything around her; there was a moment when she stared at me with predator eyes, just before I had caught her arm begging her not to hurt Sylvie, she had turned to me and snarled at me like a cornered beast…that's when I knew that her warning was real, and it was a lesson that would be recorded in my mind forever. I would never commit that imprudence again. I watched her carefully with my heart racing wildly and little by little her shadowy gaze came out of the dimness until I could recognize _her_ …I understood that the danger was gone, and even so, I let her be the one who came to me; my shaken state would not have let me move not even a single muscle. The whole incident made me realize that it really was something she could not control. _Alex_ would never hurt me…of that I was sure; I could not say the same about that other part of her, the _darkness…_ as she had already explained to me, about how sometimes she could not control it.

"Piper…" She appeared in front of the bed taking me by surprise "What are you doing awake?" She asked me studying my startled state. I was sitting with my back rested against the headboard, holdind the sheets tightly against my chest with my arms…

"I woke up and you were not here…" I tried to soften the accusatory tone "Where were you?" But I failed miserably. Her face remained impassive as she began to take off her clothes…

"I had to go to attend a prayer…" She said imperturbably, but, was she telling the truth?

"What did they want?" The words left my mouth before I could think about them. I did not want to sound inquiring…she looked at me with curiosity and continued taking the rest of her clothes off until leaving her perfect ivory body exposed to the dancing lights that came from the fireplace…

"You had never asked me about my petitioners before…" She said with suspicion while approaching to the bed "Why do you want to know?" She was too sharp; she had probably already noticed the suspicion in my voice…

"I'm just…curious" I said composedly while she got into bed looking at me intensely with the ghost of a smile on her lips

"You are always curious, uh?" She crawled on her fours towards me, until leaving her face a few centimeters from mine, hypnotizing me with her closeness; although I did not allow her to cloud my senses, I would not let her to dodge the subject…

"I just hope you have a good reason why you had leaved me in the middle of the night…" I delivered feeling somehow neglected. She frowned deeply in a gesture that I did not know how to read, but she said nothing so I tried to lighten my tone, so as not to be too strict "It is truly appalling to wake up and not to feel you by my side" I told her, bringing my right hand to her cheek to stroke her cold skin with my thumb

"Oh Pipes…I'm so sorry…" She said quietly with great remorse, bathing my face with her fresh breath and leaning towards me to plant a generous kiss on my forehead "I will never leave your side in the middle of the night again…I promise" Suddenly I felt ridiculous for making her promise such a thing; it made me look so needy

"No…that's silly…and you don't have to promise me that…I just…" Maybe I was overreacting because of the disturbing nightmare "I had a bad dream that's all…" As soon as I said it, I regretted my words…

"Of course you had nightmares…" In her face I observed that she had already assumed to be the cause of my nightmares. She lowered her sight considerably, not daring to look me in the eye. I suspected that maybe she felt ashamed

"It was not a _nightmare…_ " I quickly denied so that she did not feel guilty. She timidly raised her sight again to rest her clear green eyes on mine, looking for the truth in my eyes

"Why don't you tell me about it?..." It was not a demand…she was just offering herself to listen to me in case I wanted to tell her about it

"I was….wandering through the woods" It was really hard to lie to her when she watched me so guardedly, so I chose to simply ignore the major details of the dream "I was calling you…and I could not find you…" And so it had been, because the version of her in my dream did not correspond with the creature of clear and tender gaze that was watching me closely at that moment…

"I'm sorry I was not there with you in your dream…and I'm sorry for not having been with you when you woke up" She said fondly with a tender beam on her lips that did not reach her saddened eyes. I tugged a lock of black hair behind her ear and got closer to her to give her a little kiss on her cheek "Does that mean that I am forgiven?" She asked raising her eyebrows with an amused gesture making me giggle foolishly

"Yes…I forgive you" Not that I needed to say it out loud

"How about you go back to sleep?" She suggested "There are still some hours for dawn to come and you should get some rest" It was a terrific idea; I was still sleepy, and her presence had plunged me into a pleasingly calm

"Alright" I agreed sinking myself in the bed amid the cushions that adorned the headboard. She positioned herself next to me and slid beneath the sheets. I searched with my hands for the coldness of her body, but she did not let me get too close to her without first settling the heavy feather quilt between our naked bodies. At least she allowed me to snuggle against her, resting my head on her right shoulder…

"I won't leave you again" She assured me pressing her lips on my forehead. It was an encouraging pledge that filled me with an untold sense of safety "I'll stay with you and scare away your bad dreams" She said playfully holding me tightly against her side

"You better…" I threatened her jokingly.

It did not take me too long to go back to sleep. The last thought I had was, that in the end, she had not answered one of the straightest questions I had asked her…What the petitioner wanted…Had she deliberately dodge the question? I thought about bringing up the subject the next day, I was already about to fall asleep.

It had already dawned. I discerned some light despite I still had my eyes closed, but I could notice a scant beam through my eyelids, of the scarce light that managed to filter through the dense layer of clouds. I felt a more than familiar caress in my hair, and her body under my head and right arm. I noticed I was still resting on her; the sensation made me murmur with delight. Inside her chest, a soft chuckle echoed sending vibrations throughout my body…

"No nightmares, uh?" I heard her say softly as she buried her nose in the crown of my head, inhaling my essence in a gesture that stirred me deeply. I clung to her torso covetously and pressed my face harder against her "We woke up extra affectionate today?"

"I want to stay like this just for a little longer… _please_..." I almost begged

"We can stay like this for as long as you want" She wrapped my waist in an inexorable embrace, sliding her hands under the covers to touch my skin directly. I got goosebumps by the cold touch, but my body was always more than willing to accept her chilly contact. Our placid moment was only interrupted by my roaring stomach that made me greatly embarrassed as she laughed lively "I think your belly has other plans"

"It seems so" I said with the scorching heat rising up my cheeks

"How about…breakfast in bed?" She gave me a good squeeze "Would you like that?" I freed a little from her firm grip, and propped up supporting myself with my forearms on her chest, so I could see her in the eyes

"That's a…very tempting proposal" I told her, while I wondered if I would have to dress for it…

"I'll go for breakfast immediately" I did not argue her decision; she could get to the kitchen much faster than me, and every second with her was worth gold…

She gave me a quick peck on my lips, left the bed in a hurry and wrapped herself in her nightgown to disappear after winking at me naughtily. I stayed in bed longing for her return. I did not have to wait too long; pretty soon she was back with a bed tray and a big smile on her face. I sat and settled against the headboard, holding the sheets against my chest to cover my naked body. She got into bed and approached me on her knees, placing the tray on my legs. She settled by my legs, facing me and resting her buttocks on her heels, and for the split of a second I diverted my attention to the contents on the tray. My mouth watered at the sight of food and my hands were ready to assault the freshly baked rolls, but I remembered that they were holding the sheets, safeguarding my nudity…

"I thought you were really hungry…" She pondered noticing my vacillation

"Ammm…could you pass me my robe?" I asked her casually

"Really?" A half rascal grin adorned her already unbeatable beauty "At this point, I was not expecting you to continue being so chaste" She fixed her eyes on my covered breasts as she traced her lower lip with the tip of her tongue, leaving a trail of moisture on the reddish flesh, causing me to blush utterly. I took a deep breath trying to recompose myself…how easily she made me lose my good sense

"I think it's improper to eat while naked…that's all" I tried to say in my favor

"Mhmmm…" A melodious hum that came from her invaded my insides "On the contrary…I think it would be perfectly proper to have breakfast on your naked body…" My mouth dried up right away and my heart skipped several beats

"What?" I asked slightly aghast, while the images invaded my mind inadvertently

"Have I ever told you how much I enjoy your distress and your lovely blushing?" Then I gave her an expressionless look, feeling mocked by her "Don't look at me like that…I was serious about that breakfast" She got a serious demeanor "I would… _smear_ your entire body with this raspberry jam" She dipped the tip of her middle finger into the clay jar that contained the slimy marmalade and brought it to my lips, coating them tenderly with the sweet substance. Instinctively I licked the remains of my lips and she leaned slowly towards me to complete the task. My hands fell irresponsive to my sides as soon as her tongue traveled ever so slightly along the edges of my mouth "And I'd lick you clean at a snail's pace" Her words intruded into my mouth and I felt her moving away from me; I opened my eyes perplexed, wondering why she would give up my lips so soon…I found her casually pinching a piece of bread and taking it to her mouth unflappably "Oh…by the way…you should cover yourself" She pointed at me with her chin "It is absolutely unacceptable to eat naked…" I looked down and found my chest completely exposed, as I had dropped the sheets in my stunned state. I picked them up hurriedly; burning with irritation for how easy she could mess with me…

"Have I ever told you, how annoying you are…" I said through gritted teeth

"I think once…maybe twice…" She pondered seriously "But don't you find my annoyance somehow charming?" Truly…yes, I did. I enjoyed her impishness more than anything in the world

"I will probably regret saying it but…" As much as I tried to keep a serious face, I could not stop my cheeks from rising "I do…" I admitted reluctantly. Of course, her face lit up immensely with the beam of a haughty smile "Now, _please,_ I want you to bring me my robe…" I told her strictly. She brought her pale hand with long fingers to her chest and bowed solemnly

"Your wishes are orders, your Highness…" She said flamboyantly, and fulfilled my simple request in the blink of an eye.

"What are your plans for today?" I asked when breakfast was over. She had already removed the tray from the bed to place it on the table. We had settled in bed again, in a silent mutual agreement…

"Maybe we should clean the mess in the bathroom and look for a new bathtub…" We both laughed at the memory of the night before…

"Where are we going to get a bathtub in this place?" I wondered giggling

"There will be plenty in the many rooms of the castle…" She explained "We could go and see what we can find…"

"Will we go on an adventure in the castle?" I found it interesting to explore the many corners unknown to me. The places I knew up to then, for sure, were not a thousandth of what the castle probably harbored…

"Going into dusty and uninhabited rooms does not sound like a great adventure…" Well, if she put it like that, no…it did not sound like an adventure, but for me, even the most insignificant quest could become unforgettable is she was part of it. I gave her a light slap on the shoulder and I sat up in a quick jump and got out of the bed animatedly…

"Let's get going! It will be fun" She observed me guardedly as if I had just lost my mind. I rolled my eyes comically and took her by her arm, dragging her to get her out of the bed.

After dressing appropriately, we started to go through other areas of the castle, to other wings with their infinite corridors full with doors on both sides to enter places that I would dared to say had not been opened for centuries. The heavy wooden doors seemed about to crumble, quite deteriorated by the passage of time and the insatiable appetite of termites. More than one fell apart in Alex's hands when she pushed them lightly. We had already entered about thirty rooms, and we had not found yet what we were looking for…

"Why have you allowed the decline of this place?" I asked her with real doubt as we entered one of the rooms and I looked around registering the weighty decadence. The condition of some places was deplorable. A real shame because it looked like those rooms had been places of great luxury at some distant time…

"The castle is too big, there are too many absurd places and quarters…it is impossible to maintain it" She explained to me while we examined the dusty room with heavy air "It would require too many hands, and for nothing…no one uses all this rooms"

"Then why would you have so many rooms in the first place?" I found her answer slightly absurd…

"They were already here when I arrived…" It made sense what she said since the shabby furniture seemed to be centuries old "Every _Warden_ before me took great care to make this place even more massive" She began explaining with a calm voice "You can notice it in the thickness of the walls, in the disparity of materials between the different wings and of course, in the furniture…" I would not have noticed if she had not mentioned it "I refused to continue such stupid practice"

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Because, it is unnecessary…" She claimed as an obvious thing turning around to face me

"And why do you think those who were here before you did it? If it's as _unnecessary_ as you say…"

"For the same reason why powerful people build palaces and temples and gigantic statues, always trying to excel themselves" I watched her attentive waiting for her to go on, as I was not following why she seemed so outraged "Is the simplest way to show their power…to leave the mark of their supremacy for centuries, so that entire generations can continue to remember what they did and what they once were…" She observed me closely while I thought about what she had just told me. I honestly did not understand what was wrong with it and why she seemed to be so against it "You come from an empowered family…you surely know better than no one what I'm talking about…" I noticed some condescension in her words…

"What is that suppose to mean?" I retorted feeling slightly offended, but she only smiled at me widely

"Just tell me…how many rooms does your _fancy_ palace have and how many of them are occupied?" Hundreds…hundreds of rooms and only a handful were inhabited "See?" She had a smug expression on her face, knowing she had won the argument with my silence. Still, I was not willing to let her have the last word…

"And what's wrong about it? I think it is a symbol of greatness and improvement…the _empowered_ families, as you call them, earned their status after centuries of struggle…they did not become what they are from nowhere…" My argument seemed to amuse her, encouraging me to go on "And yes, maybe it is a pretentious thing to do to build luxurious palaces with hundred of useless rooms…but I believe it inspires others to achieve greatness, it makes them believe that it is possible to be better…" I felt somehow stupid saying those words that had been repeated over and over again to me throughout my life…

"Do you really believe that?" She questioned me tenderly, scrutinizing me with her eyes, sensing the empty meaning of my words, since I was not able to deliver them with conviction "That such...displays of greatness are appropriate while thousands of people die of hunger and cold because they don't have a simple roof over their heads…"

"But…my people have always been well protected by their kings…my father, my grandfather, my great grandfather…and so on…for generations my family has worked hard to establish a prosperous kingdom…"

"Prosperous? For whom?" She interrupted me with a hint of irony

"For the people who live in it…" I no longer believed my own words

"Surely your father's intentions and those who preceded him were good but…" She stopped thinking about something and continued after a short pause "Imagine a family that lives huddled in a small wooden hut that must fight and work really hard to stay well fed and sleep in the same straw cot because sometimes, they cannot afford to waste wood to warm up, and they only have their bodies to do so…How do you think they feel when a man in uniform comes knocking on their doors claiming fees for their King or their Lord…to later see their scarce money squandered on empty rooms and banal luxuries that only a few can enjoy…" Her words were like a slap in my face; I knew it was not her intention, to make me feel miserably after giving me her point of view "Don't be sad…" She spoke to me sympathetically and shortened the distance between us to cup my face with her cold hands "It's not your fault…is what they've made you believe and defend all your life; you were born in that world" There was understanding in her voice "I, on the other hand, had to suffer the other side of the coin…" I frowned at her and curiosity burned my insides. I did not know anything about her past life yet…

"Were you… _poor_?" She laughed cheerfully at my not so subtle question

"No…" She instantly denied, smiling genuinely, to let me know that my question had not offended her "I actually had it all…" But her beam faded very quickly and a veil of melancholy suffused every gesture of her face "You'll see…" She took a step away from me and looked around, inviting me to do the same "All this… _greatness_ …it seems to be everything from the outside, but the harsh reality is that…it is worth nothing because it is only full of _emptiness_ …" The cadence of her words was of someone who had lived it all; she was an extraordinary being who spoke with the voice of experience and wisdom. Her gloomy face showed me that she knew the meaninglessness of life very well, and that she had suffered the emptiness of that place for too long. I nailed my eyes inadvertently clouded with tears on hers, unable to utter a single word; I was always surprised by the depth of her soul and the wide range of facets that she had within her; in that instant I could only fall deeper and deeper in love with her. She filled the silence after a while, when a stunning smile was drawn on her lips again "But even such immeasurable emptiness became too small to host your presence…"

I grinned dumbfounded by her words as I felt the tears running down my cheeks. I could not stand the short distance between us and I cut it in a couple of jumps, pouncing on her. She caught me right away and lifted me up in the air by my waist; instinctively, I surrounded her hips with my legs and she kept the balance for both of us, while my arms remained fixatedly firm around her neck and her hands had already slid down to hold me by my buttocks, that she held with impudence. I leaned toward her to cover her face with kisses, to replace her misery of centuries with all the love that I could give her. She laughed harmoniously and we fused in an affectionate kiss…

"Let's see if we can find a decent bathtub…" She said when the kiss was over

"And a big one!" I demanded

"Yes…the largest one" She reassured me rolling her eyes and we resumed our quest. After inspecting other rooms, we finally found a massive tub carved in black granite "Is it big enough?" Alex asked me with sarcasm while circling the bathtub to assess its condition; obviously it was big enough

"Mhmmm…" I pondered seriously "I don't know…" She raised her sight to look at me wondering if I was serious "But definitely looks sturdy enough so you won't break it again…" She laughed wickedly and said…

"Well…there is only one way to know it" And she walked into the tub to settle herself on the curved bottom of it… "Mhmmm…comfy" She approved, resting her arms on the edges to both sides "Won't you test it with me?" Knowing her, I could only imagine how our little _test_ would end…

"I…I don't know…" I told her with hesitation "It's kind of dusty and… _dusky_ for that matter…I don't think it's the most _suitable_ place to do… _that…_ " I trailed off lost of words

"Oh my heavens…" She exclaimed suddenly very amused "You will not be thinking of it as an invitation to have sex...right?" My face experienced all the shades of red that were possible at the mention of _that_ word "For your information, not everything revolves around sex…no matter how wonderful it is" I tried to keep my composure, so I did not give her more reasons to mess with me

"Can you blame me for thinking that?" I said defensively. After all, the bathtub had become a regular place for _those things_ …

"No…I can't" Her wide grin stretched from ear to ear "Come here…" She extended her hand to invite me into the tub with her. I took it without hesitation and got into it. She spread her legs to give me space between them, so I settled nicely resting my back on her front and supporting my arms on her legs that she kept bent by the knees "So you like it?" Her lips were very close to my left ear, and her fresh air made me shuddered in delight.

"It's quite spacious indeed…" I remarked "We can bathe comfortably from now on…"

"Yeah… _bath…_ " She said ironically running her hands over my breasts suggestively

" _Alex_ …" I said cagily, as a warning

"It's not my fault that you are so provoking…" She embraced me tightly by my waist and kissed the curve of my shoulder succulently; I forgot to breathe "But you are right…this place is creepy" She instantly stopped her intents and I could not help but feeling terribly disappointed. Still…I enjoyed her closeness. We remained for a long time in that position, in that odd place. Neither of us was willing to disturb the extraordinary calm that took our bodies out of the blue…

"I want to know more about you…" I said without been able to contain myself.

"What do you want to know?" She asked softly brushing the side of my neck with her nose and lips yearningly…

"About your past…about your other life…" Our recent debate had stoked my interest to know every aspect of her life "As long as you want to share it with me, of course" I added quickly; I did not want her to feel compelled to it

"Why would not I want to share it with you?" She retorted

"I don't know…maybe you are not ready to share it…" If she had not told me about her life at that point, maybe she did not want to do it "In that case, I would totally understand…" I told her kindheartedly

"I'm thinking more about…if you are ready to hear it…" I could not see her face, but I noticed the nervousness in her voice…

"Why?" I wondered after some seconds, trying to understand what she had meant by that

"Maybe…there are things from my past that will not be…to your… _liking_ …" I had never heard her speak with such lack of self-confidence. I turned my neck all I could to see her face that I could barely see because she did not allow me to turn my torso as well, her firm grip around my waist limited my movements…

"My liking?" I repeated puzzled

"My origins may be… _shocking_ for you, that's all" She further explained

"Alex…whatever it is…I want to know…" I told her tenderly "There's nothing that will make me change what I fell for you…if that's what you fear…" She relaxed her arms and I took the opportunity to turn towards her. She made me sit on her lap and I hung my right arm over her shoulders, and watched her carefully waiting for her to start telling me her story…but her silence was so long that I was the one who started talking "Why do you think your origins would seem scandalous to me?" I caressed her cheek with my free hand…

"Because…I don't come from a prominent family with an important name like you…I come from nothing… _and_ …" She stopped suddenly and looked down, as if ashamed of something… "I am a _bastard_ …" The mere mention of the word iced my blood; indeed, it was an outrageous thing for my moral standards. But once the first seconds of shock have been overcome, I repeated in my mind that I could not care less if her origins were not legitimate, and also, I let her know about it…

"I don't care" She raised her timid eyes, as I had never seen them, diffident and tentative

"You don't?" She inquired barely whispering to what I just shook my head in denial smiling at her "Don't you think it's a disgrace to have ended up with me?"

"A fortunate disgrace, nonetheless…" I joked kindly, making her laugh "Tell me more" I encouraged her to go on while my fingers ran through her hair…

"Well, I come from a family of peasants; my grandparents worked the lands of a great Lord. My mother was a very beautiful woman, and only daughter…she was about to marry a decent man, the son of another family of peasants…he could have been my father if things had been different" I got lost in her words, listening attentively to every little detail "The Lord had to be informed of everything that happened under his nose…each union, each birth and each death…he controlled everything and everyone…people were seen as his property, we belonged to him; that's the way things were back then. So, my grandfather, as was the custom, went to ask permission for her daughter to join in marriage with that man. The Lord allowed it and he even gave his personal staff to organize a small banquet, a true honor for the family. My grandfather was one of the most respectable and loyal workers, so he saw the Lord's gesture as a reward for his services; nobody would think that the Lord actually had other plans, that he was just being nice for what he would do later, the night of the ceremony" By her tone, I knew that something horrible had happened that night. She looked down and continued speaking in a somber voice "After the ceremony, when everyone was celebrating the union, the Lord appeared on his horse flanked by several of his men, determined to claim his _jus primae noctis_ " I furrowed my eyebrows; I did not know those words, but she immediately continued explaining "The lord's right of the first night…an atrocious practice that allowed feudal lords to maintain…sexual relations with subordinate women on their wedding night…" She made a long pause and turned her gaze towards me again. I was petrified with that information; I could not believe her words…

"That's…abhorrent…" I could barely speak

"Yes…but like I said…it is how things worked before, sadly. If the Lord wanted, he could take any maid to the bed, and it was known that the Lord was infatuated with the beauty of my mother, but out of respect for my grandfather, who had served him for so many years, nobody would have imagined that he would dare to do such a thing" I continued listening attentive but with heavy uneasiness "My grandfather begged him to have mercy, but he ignored his pleas and then, my mother's newly husband, felt really aggravated and tried to attack the Lord blinded with rage, obviously, he did not live no tell. The confrontation did not prevent the Lord from fulfilling his purpose, so that night…I was conceived" She said with great sadness. It must have been really hard to know you were brought to the world under those circumstances. I felt her sorrow like my own "Of course, the capricious Lord got bored after that night, and took my mother back with my grandparents, humiliated and afflicted by the premature loss of his husband; needless to say, the Lord ignored my mother's pregnancy…he could not care less about a creature conceived with a simple peasant, and my family had no choice but to lower their heads and continue under the Lord's service…it was either that or die" She took a long pause; I thought she was done telling me her story, but she went on with sadness "My mother tried to protect me all my life so that I never knew the truth of what had happened…she told me that my father had died of plague just a few months after my birth. I can't blame her for it; I would have done the same thing. She loved me like anything in the world, despite being the product of an unwanted episode, and I will always be grateful for all the love she gave me in spite of it. I did not need anything more than that; her love was everything to me…and in that sense, I can say that I grew up having it all" Tears were running down my cheeks profusely. The way she spoke of her mother made it clear how important she had been for her and how proud she was of her origins, no matter what "Are you crying?" She chuckled softly…

"I think so…" I felt suddenly ridiculous

"You are so sweet…" She said fondly, while wiping my tears with her right hand

"What happened later?" I asked, sniffing a little…

"As I got older, I started to understand the looks that others gave me, to hear rumors about my resemblance to the great lord, but I never dared to face my mother about the subject…I knew I was not going to like what she would tell me, besides, I was old enough to get an idea of what had happened…and it was the best I could do because, when I was over 16 years old, my mother became ill and died very quickly, so at least she died thinking that I did not know the truth…" I saw the pang of hurt plastered on her face at the memory

"I'm so sorry…" I told her with great mourning cupping her face

"It's alright…that happened a long time ago now…it does not hurt anymore" She guaranteed me for my own benefit. She must have noticed the affliction in my face…

"And how…how did you end up being the _Warden…?_ " I was very curious about that specific part…

"It happened years later…" She seemed willing to continue telling me everything "After my mother's death, some guards came to our house to claim me, to serve in the big house. I did not have many options, my grandparents were very old and the only way I could help them was to serve our Lord. The guard took me to him, and he promised me that they would be fine, and so it was. They lived a decent life until they died of old age, shortly after" I made a sad gesture, feeling sorry for the death of her grandparents, as she continued speaking "I had never had the opportunity to see him so close; only then I could confirm that I actually had to be his daughter, the resemblance was uncanny. I was assigned a job as a maid, and a few years later, I practically became his personal maid. He treated me with respect and benevolence; maybe he was trying to amend his past mistakes…obviously, he never recognized me as his legitimate daughter because it would have been dishonorable, besides, his wife and children despised me, so they would have never allowed it…"

"Then, you carry your mother's last name…" It was not a question, rather a remark

"That's right…I would not need another one…" She said with pride "Anyway…my destiny changed forever some time later…I would be about twenty years old. The Lord was known to be an inveterate gambler…it was common for him to organize long nights of card games with other Lords, where they lost gold coins without pang of conscience. I used to stay in those meetings, serving drinks and snacks to the gentlemen, and one night, at a critical moment of a final game between the Lord and other abject man, I became part of the bet…" I knitted my eyebrows slightly puzzled, but did not ask and waited for her to go on "The Lord had a bad spell that night, he had lost a lot of money and jewels, so he had nothing more to bet…his opponent was the one who proposed me as a currency… _Your daughter…_ he said, without mincing words. You had to be an idiot not to notice the truth, but nobody had ever dared to address the subject out loud. Then, that man, who was supposed to be my father, looked me up and down as if I were a horse and he was assessing what my value was…" Her voice broke and my soul hung by a thin thread, in suspense "And accepted the bet that he finally lost…" _No…no no no…_ I thought with dread. Then, I was not so innocent as not to know what that man wanted to do with her…I did not want to hear it, I did not want to know. She sensed my distress and added "Don't worry…the man who won me did not have time to lay a hand on me" A sardonic smile was drawn on her lips and I shivered oddly attracted by her cold tone "They took me by force to one of the rooms intended for guests…I cried and begged for mercy, expecting the Lord to have compassion, but nobody listened to me. They locked me in the room, and the man to whom I belonged to from then on, returned to the party, asking me to be ready and clean for when he was back. Without hope, I did what any desperate person would do…I invoked the _Warden_ , without even knowing that _that_ would actually work…the _Warden_ was just a myth, a legend, I did not think it really existed" She release a short snort "But then…a short and chubby man appeared right in front of me…like a shadow wrapped in a halo of darkness. I remember how the temperature in the room plummeted instantaneously, and with the sweetest voice, the little odd man asked me… _What can I do for you?..._ I could not believe it, I thought that maybe I had gone crazy, but since there was nothing to lose, I asked him to get me out of there at whatever price…I knew, according to the myth, that the _Warden_ did not do favors for free. He laughed animatedly and told me that I would not have to give him anything in return, that he would help me for free…I was so desperate that I did not find his kindness suspicious. In the end, he only asked me for a small favor in return…a _small_ favor that would cost me dearly, but then I was not aware of it…" She said bitterly "He picked up a leather bag that hung from his belt and from it, he took out a heart…I was terrified to see it throbbing, _alive_ …" Just like _her_ beating heart " _The only thing you have to do is to put a dagger into this heart…then, I'll give you anything you ask me…I will be in debt to you_ …he told me. It was tremendously tempting; I did not even bother to ask him about the heart, who that heart belonged to or how was it possible for it to continue beating without a body…I grabbed the dagger that he offered me with his other hand without hesitation, I closed my eyes and pierced the heart with the pointy dagger" A chill traveled along my spine "The little man in front of me collapsed immediately and I felt something seizing my whole body. I could hear the man's voice, but then it did not come from the motionless body that lay on the floor at my feet…it came from _inside me_ …and that's how I became the _Warden…_ " When her story was over, I realized that I had been holding my breath for a while…I was astonished and dizzy, for the story and the lack of air. I took a deep breath and wondered…

"But why? Why would he want you to stab his own heart?" I could not understand

"The darkness did not like the body that hosted it…so while he could still control that man's will, it seized the opportunity to inhabit mine" Her gaze was lost; she was looking straight ahead at nothing in particular "If I had known the real cost…I might have never have done it…" I felt a dagger in my own soul…

"But then...we would never have met…" I whispered sadly. That was a very selfish thought and I immediately regretted my words. She nailed her clear eyes on me and gave me a sad smile…

"You are the only thing worth of such misfortune…so in the end, I won. Now I have it all" Her words were sincere and full of warmth. She hugged me tightly against her chest, and I inhaled the sweet essence of her neck, pressing my lips on her cold and smooth skin "I just wish you had appeared in my life a little earlier…" She slightly joked snatching from me an ephemeral smile, because I had just realized the harsh reality. She was immortal, and I was not. I would die, she never would. _What would happen to her then? Who would love her the way I loved her?_


	40. Chapter 40

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Merry Christmas people and happy holidays! I do not think I can update another chapter before the end of the year, so I hope you have a great end of the year and **HAPPY NEW YEAR!** I hope you continue to be so wonderful! See you next year ;) Luv U all!

 **CHAPTER XL (Alex's POV)**

I would have stayed forever in that place with her, intimately engaged in a strong embrace. I was floating in a cloud, extremely relieved to finally having told her all about my past life. For a moment I feared she would feel repulsed by my shady origins, but once again she proved to be beyond the shallowness of the high society to which she belonged, astounding me with the purest and humblest substance of her being; she really must have loved me to accept me as I was. We went back to our room and I invited her to wait in the library while I finished some arrangements. I had to tell the service staff to clean up the mess from the night before, and send some men to bring the heavy tub; it would take at least six men to do it.

"I'll go with you…" She objected immediately

"No, you won't" I refused immediately in a cutting way "I would prefer you to wait in the library" I said softening my voice

"Why?" Her face denoted distrust, or maybe it was just my imagination. Anyway, I preferred to tell her the truth…

"I…" I began hesitantly "I don't want you near those men" I finally said lowering my eyes and wrapping her waist very slowly, greedily, to bring her closer to me…

"Alex…" She exhaled mi name in the midst of a short laugh "It's not like they could hurt me while being with you" That was not my problem at all...

Obviously, nobody could hurt her if I was with her. I had other reasons to keep her away from those men. The common workers were not the worst criminals in my lands, but after all…they were men. It infuriated me only to think about the kind of images that could be formed in their heads just by seeing a beauty like _her_. And I could not blame them for that; it was inevitable to see her and not to imagine a thousand ways to own her and fantasize about her naked body. For my great fortune, it was something I did not have to imagine anymore, since her nudity was permanently captured in my mind in great detail, and because whenever I wanted, I could make my fantasies come true with her.

"I don't want them to see you…" I said sullenly, absurdly annoyed with those men and their possible thoughts

"Really?" She asked incredulous, without understanding the background of my reasons. I looked up at her slightly bothered by her jocular tone

"Yes…really" I frowned at her with seriousness, but that only made her smile grow wider, when realization hit her

"Would you be jealous if someone else looked at me?" In her question it was clear that the idea pleased her greatly, but I was not kidding; the issue troubled me deeply

"As a matter of fact, yes…I would be jealous" I admitted straightforwardly and her noticeable mocking smile became a tender and tactful one. I pressed our foreheads together and explained myself better "Besides…I don't want them to see you and… _dishonor_ you with their…filthy thoughts" I wanted to be the only one with those thoughts…

"Alright" She said very quietly "If it bothers you that much…I'll wait in the library" She agreed. I moved my face away from her to see her

"Thank you…" I told her, sincerely grateful for her understanding. She could have interpreted that as an attempt to control her, nothing further from my true intentions. I accompanied her to the library and recommended her a very particular book…so she could keep herself entertained while I took care of the arrangements

"What is the book about?" She asked me intrigued, as she took a seat in my large armchair in front of the fireplace that I quickly lit for her comfort…

"You'll have to read it to find out" I retorted enigmatically, while I leaned towards her to kiss her goodbye, although I had promised her that I would be back in a short time.

I was just going to organize the staff and return with her immediately. As soon as I started walking to leave, she was already going through the first page of the book. I laughed internally thinking about her reaction when she realized that it was an erotic novel, whose scenes between two women were quite explicit. It was a book from the Far East, where certain topics such as same sex relationships were not frowned upon. I organized the tasks faster than what I expected. First, I picked up the girls from the service staff and told them to clean the bathroom, to pick up the broken pieces of the old tub and to dry the floor; one of the girls of the staff came with me, a little scared but she had no choice but to obey. We went to look for a group of men who were fixing a tower's wall. The gigantic structures of the castle always needed constant maintenance. I guided them to the old room where the bathtub was and told the girl to show them the way to my room and left her in charge of the task; I let her know that I would be in the library, so she could tell me in case there was a problem and in an instant, I went back to the library with _Piper_. She was immensely pleased that I had finished the task so quickly. She got up from the chair, leaving the book aside on the adjacent table to receive me, as if she had not seen me in months…

"Are you enjoying the reading?" I asked impishly

"I don't know…I've only read few pages" She answered completely oblivious to my tone.

She picked up the reading when we took a seat in my chair. She sat on me letting her legs hang over the armrest and let the book resting on her own lap, allowing me to see what she was reading. I rested my right hand on her knees and I passed my left arm behind her back to hold her by the waist firmly. While she read, I listened carefully to everything that was happening in our room; the girls cleaning, almost without exchanging words, and after a very long time, I heard the men making sounds of effort as they moved the heavy stone structure. She was so immersed in the reading that she did not seem to hear anything. I laid my eyes on the lines of the book and smiled widely anticipating her reaction; she was about to run into a very naughty scene. My eyes then focused on her face, whose cheeks began to fluster before she could realized what she was reading…when the red color could not be more intense, she closed the book hastily, with a loud thud and simply muttered…

"Oh…" I laughed uncontrollably at her reaction, until my stomach hurt "You did it on purpose!" She blamed me gnashing her teeth "What kind of book have you given me?" She turned it over in her hands as if she could find the answer somewhere in its cover…

"It is just an erotic novel…" I told her when I had finally forced myself to stop from laughing

"Erotic novel?" She repeated having doubts about it

"Eroticism comprises the aesthetics of sexual desire, romantic love…" I began explaining naturally

"I know what… _erotic_ …means…" She cut me off quite bothered "I meant…I did not know there were novels on those… _subjects_ …"

"Well, of course…" I said nonchalantly, as she looked at me sideways with doubt "Their intention is to _arouse_ the reader, you know… _sexually_ " I explained calmly, but my words seemed to flush her flustered stated even more

"Why did you give it to me and why didn't you tell me before?" She wondered with a high pitched tone

"I wanted you to give it a chance…" I tenderly told her "And I wanted you to form your own opinion…if I told you before you read it, you could be biased…"

"Well I…I think it's _weird_ …" She turned her gaze to the book that was still in her lap

"How is that come?" I asked her genuinely curious to hear her opinion. My intention was not to make her feel uncomfortable; on the contrary, I wanted her to open her mind a little more about certain topics.

"Reading about… _it_ …" She said awkwardly

"Piper…you can call it _sex_ …" I had already realized her reluctance to say that word. She let out a snort of frustration and turned her head to her right to face me…

"Why do you always have to be so… _risqué_ and _vehement_?" She added presumptuously

"You kind of awaken such traits in me" I joked impishly "Besides, there's nothing wrong with calling things by their names…you are being childish" I refuted and once again she lowered her gaze and focused on her fidgeting fingers

"I just…I don't think these are topics to talk about…that's all" Her voice had subdued a little. She was always so easily embarrassed, that made me think that maybe she found those subjects to be morally wrong. I did not want her to feel that way, and above all, I did not want her to feel ashamed to talk about sex with me.

"Pipes…there is nothing more provoking and erotic than talking openly about sex with your partner" I said sweetly while my right hand caressed her thigh through the fabrics of her long skirt "It is a sign of absolute trust…to share your most intimate wishes with the person who could gladly fulfill each one of them" The change in her face denoted that she was listening to what I was saying, and that at least, she was considering it for a moment…

"Have you… _shared_ …such wishes with other women in the past?" Very quietly she asked; again, she was thinking about those women. Her lack of self confidence stirred my insides…if she could only understand how different she was from them…

"No" I softly denied. She knitted her eyebrows ever so slightly "I want to do it only with you" Then she raised her eyes shyly and I saw the beam of a smile tempting to be drawn on her lips "I already told you…I have never let anyone into my life like you…" After observing me for a while, she tried to contain the smile that threatened to break free from her hardened lips. Without saying a word, she took the book on her lap in her hands, and looked for the page where she had left it and continued to read offhandedly, although the blush on her face was highly distinguishable. I chuckled softly and kissed her burning cheek with my moist lips, to then joining to the reading.

I was telling her the truth; I had never reached such a degree of trust with any woman from my past, with which I had only shared sexual affairs. The connection I had with _her_ was beyond anything else; a single caress of her was worth more than countless nights of empty sex. I wanted to get to know her like I never wished to know those women; I wanted her to open her soul and mind to me, to have the privilege to know her like anyone else did, and I wanted her to know me in the same way. A little knock on the door made her throw the book into the air, very startled with the disturbance, as a child who had been caught in the middle of some devilry…

"Come in…" I said out loud holding a laughter, while appeasing _her_ distressed state by caressing her back. The girl who I had left in charge of the task peeked her face timidly into the library through the open door

"My Lady…" She said softly with tremulous voice, looked at us for a couple of seconds, assessing us, and quickly she stared at the floor, not daring to raise her eyes again. I noticed Piper tensing in my lap "Forgive me for the interruption…I came to inform you that we have finished everything"

"Everything alright?" I asked

"Yes My Lady…everything has gone as you wanted"

"Good…" I approved and then forced myself to say "Thank you" I knew Piper would appreciate my efforts

"I'm to serve you My lady…" The girl bowed awkwardly, still protected behind the door "By your leave My lady…Ma'am" She finally addressed Piper glancing at her very swiftly

"Wait!" I stopped her before she left "Bring us lunch… _would you_ …" I ordered, softening the order at the end of the phrase

"Immediately, My lady" Then she left, closing the door behind her. I sensed Piper was breathing again; I did not understand why she should get so nervous when they saw her with me, but then, I did not ask her since there was something else bothering me. I kept my eyes on the door pondering what would be; definitely the girl was the reason of my discomfort. I let it go and waited for her to be back with our lunch.

Piper got up from my lap and went to pick up the book that lay open on the floor after the rugged landing. She flattened the pages bruised in the fall, smoothing the folded corners; she closed the book and placed it on a table near the fireplace and went to it adding more wood to the flames, although it was not necessary. She got up and stood in front of it, extending her hands towards the heat. I knew it had bothered her to be seen in such a compromised situation with me.

"Something wrong?" I asked her from the chair, where I was still sitting

"No…I just got a little cold…" She said elusively, without turning around to face me. At moments like that, I would have given anything to know what was going through her mind. It was not the first time that she had behaved that way when a girl from the service staff had caught us together.

"You do care for what others think about us" I said without criticism, but as an inescapable fact.

"What? What are you talking about?" She rebuked hurt, turning around to face me. I could only smile at her, since I knew her shame had been imposed to her since she was born, as a stigma that would be very difficult to get rid of. Her gestures softened and she dropped her eyes to the floor, and then, with the sweetest voice she said "They think you are holding me against my will…and that…you have _corrupted_ me" I clenched my jaw hard, not out of anger, but to avoid laughing at what she had just told me; I did not want her to think I was making fun of her

"Only I know how hard it is to corrupt you…" I said with desolation "I've tried it over and over again and I keep… _hitting_ my face against your high thick walls of integrity" My voice was grim, but my lips were disfigured by a smirk that gave me away. She looked up shyly, self-conscious by my tone, but she grinned divinely when she noticed that I was not being serious.

"Is that you are never going to take anything seriously?!" She exclaimed with silly laugh

"It's not worth it…trust me" I answered unflappably, got up and walked to her. I held her face in my hands and watched her with exacerbated fondness "Do I make you feel _captive_?" I wondered with tender funniness. She thought about it narrowing her eyes

"More like… _captivated_ …" I appreciated the wordplay laughing softly

"Do you feel _corrupted_ by me?" I kept asking her

" _Unquestionably_ …" She whispered as she circled my waist with her hands. I brought her face to me and gave her a measured kiss, taking her appetizing lower lip between mine.

"So…are you going to continue reading the book?" I asked her wiggling my eyebrows

"I think it's a little too… _salacious_ for my taste…" She always had a fancy word for everything "I prefer other literary genres…" She ended up by saying with a gesture of apology.

"Fine…but you don't know what you are missing…" I found it funny that she opposed reading those things but she did not seem to oppose practicing such acts in bed, and thank heavens for that "Let's wait for lunch" I told her after giving her a fond smile and headed to our room with our arms entwined.

Soon after, the same girl brought us lunch. I tried to look at her straight in the eyes, but she never dared to look away from the floor, completely unwilling to meet my inquisitive stare…I did not trust people with elusive eyes. I told her to leave the tray on the table, where we were already sitting, to assess her closely; she approached our way with timid steps and the contents of the tray tinkled with her obvious tremors of fear.

"That'll be all" I said with coldness after she placed the trembling tray on the table.

"Thank you Tiffany" Said Piper with vast sweetness, maybe compensating the girl by my coldness

"I'm to serve you ma'am, by your leave My lady" The girl made a reverence and almost ran to get away from there

"That was not alright…the poor girl almost dropped the tray of fear…" I barely listened Piper's recriminating words. My mind was somewhere else, trying to remember something

"What's her name again?" I asked her meditative. She looked at me slightly puzzled and answered after some seconds of bafflement

"Ammm…Tiffany?"

"Her full name…" I inquired further, since the name alone did not ring a bell

"Doggett…Tiffany Doggett…why?"

"Uh!…" I muttered remembering who she was and what her crimes had been. Sometimes I forgot some faces, but in my mind I kept a perfect record of names and crimes "I don't like her…" I watched Piper in the eye and told her sternly. She rolled her eyes and smiled widely

"You don't like anyone!" She exclaimed amusingly while serving food on our plates

"That's not true!" I retorted aggravated by her accusations. She gave me a condescending look and I continued talking to prove her wrong "I like Nicky, Red…and I like you above all"

"That's only three people!" She giggled and continued serving…

"Whatever…" I muttered frustrated "Piper, I'm telling you…I don't like that woman…" I said in a grave tone to be taken seriously, which made her stop what she was doing "You should take her away from the service staff" I advised her

"I don't have reasons for it, she has done her job very well, she's obedient and has not caused any kind of troubles…I can't simply removed her from the service staff without a reason" I knew she would not listen to me

"At least keep her away from you…and try not to be alone with her" I pleaded, but there was some real warning in my voice

"Fine…" She agreed somehow reluctant "I promise!" She finally said with more conviction after I stared at her with severity "Now…can I ask you why you don't like her?"

"She's… she is not right in the head" It was hard to explain. Some people had committed crimes that were not driven by evil, but by unknown forces. Some criminals were even convinced that they were doing the right thing, simply because they were crazy.

"Can I know…what did she do to be here?" She questioned me with secrecy

"I can't tell you that…" I exclaimed as if shocked by her question, but then I explained seriously "It is too personal, and only they can decide whether or not to tell their crimes…I don't have the right to disclose that information, I'm sorry"

"Don't be sorry…I admire that you stick to your word…" She gave me a genuine smile and began to enjoy lunch, while I could not help but feeling guilty with her statement. She believed I was a creature of its word. The shame burden my insides as if I had swallowed a burning coal, remembering how just hours ago I had broken the promise I had made her. What would she do if she knew what I had done that night while she slept?

My plan had already been drawn, as soon as I knew the truth about her escape attempt and before she had made me promise that I would not hurt Sylvie for it. That night, just right after she had fallen asleep, I got out of the bed with extreme caution not to wake her up, I put on my cloak and my boots, since I was already almost dressed from when she had thwarted my initial intentions to go and punish Sylvie, I gave her a last look as I attentively heard to her breathing and the rhythmic calmed beat of her heart, verifying before leaving that she was immersed in a deep sleep… _I'm sorry…_ I thought, knowing that my actions would disappoint her deeply but not even that stopped me from going to the small hut adjacent to the pigsty. Above the nauseating smell to crap, I could register the familiar aroma of the person who had become my sentenced to death; there was no going back, it was my duty. I had already given her too many opportunities, but knowing that she had been directly responsible for Piper's attempt to escape and her consequent accident… _that_ could not go unpunished.

I saw her sleeping figure on the straw bed and I approached with great care, not for fear of being heard, but because I savored every second before my decimated body could get what it wanted the most…her black heart, heavy with darkness that could make me recompose my strength. I sat next to her and watched her sleep; for a moment, I even felt sorry for her; she looked like someone else while sleeping, maybe a gentle person. I always knew she was lost, I knew that sooner or later I would eventually tear out her heart…her pettiness, her envy, her rage…she herself had worked her own lethal end. I was disgusted with myself for having been with her; I couldn't understand how it had happened, but it did. She did not startle me when she opened her eyes suddenly, maybe warned by her survival instinct that someone was _stalking_ her while she slept…

"My Lady…" She recognized me immediately in the gloomy poky little room and sat up hastily. The idiot was even happy to see me "What…what are you doing here?"

"I came to do something that I should have done a long time ago…" I said, feeling actually sorry for her

"Have you come for me?" She asked foolishly thrilled.

"Yes, that's why I'm here" Just the promise I had made to Piper of not hurting her, was what gave me the pinch of compassion, and to play along with her.

"Oh Alex!" She exclaimed and pounced on me wrapping my shoulder with her arms. My name sounded wrong in her mouth and I almost shook her off of me revolted by her touch "I knew you would come around…" I let her believe it for a moment, anticipating the final struck that would end her life before she even noticed what had happed "I knew _she_ could never give you what I can…" But the mention of _her_ was the drop that spilled the glass. With measured movements, I took her arms to move her away from me and being able to look her in the eye, dangerously, to let her know that I was not there for her sake…

"She loves me…she really loves me; not like you think you do…" I told her and her face twisted terribly into a grimace of raw hatred "And I…I love her too…" I wanted her to know it before dying, for having dared to attempt against her life. I let her writhe with hate for a few seconds, and right away, I gave her the final blow. In less than a second, the hatred in her had died out. There was a lot of evil accumulated in her heart…

I felt it as it filled me with relief, the strength returning to my body and my senses sharpening, leaving behind their cloudy state. The feeling was reinvigorating, but after the first wave of relief faded, I realized that it had not been enough, I needed more. I feared I was too weakened and that perhaps another death would be necessary to completely satisfy my needs, but I could not do it, dreading to fall into the maw of disarray. I could not afford to lose control, especially after what had just happened with Piper, when I had attacked her absolutely beyond myself; I had lost control of my being and let the darkness take over me. That episode could not be repeated. I took a deep breath and observed the still body in whose chest my hand remained buried and I started to think about the consequences of what I had just done. How would I hide that? It would not be hard to keep Luschek's mouth shut; he would be the first one to notice Sylvie's absence. A subtle threat would be enough, but he was a hopeless drinker and alcohol was not an ally for people who kept secrets. I would have to think of a lie that he believed…maybe I would tell him I had relegated Sylvie to the mines to help the wounded in the frequent accidents…later I would think about it, the most important thing was that Piper never knew the truth.

I took the body to the only one who always seemed willing to do the dirtiest jobs, Piscatella. Then, I went to the kitchen's backyard looking for water from the pit and some soap to clean my hands; it was a shame that I could not do the same thing with my conscience. Sylvie's death was not what oppressed my chest so uncomfortably, but seeing Piper in the face thinking how disappointed she would be if she ever knew the truth.

I dealt with the guilt all the next day, and it got bigger as she gave me demonstrations of her trust, a trust that I did not deserve.

"Can't you tell me about your prayers either?" Her voice got me out of my trance

"Pardon?" I wondered startled; I had been caught off guard with her question. I blinked several times, in an attempt to erase the images that had just invaded my mind and come back to the present...

"Your petitioners…do you owe them the same vote of confidentiality?" She asked casually, while bringing the fork to her mouth. I just looked at her with perplexed gesture without understanding why she asked that "Last night…you never told me what they wanted from you…" She said after chewing and swallowing a bite to fill the reigning silence on my part, but her casual tone broke with some nervousness. I had eluded that question that night so as not to lie to her, but then I had no escape anymore; she seemed determined to question me about it. I sensed that she suspected about my whereabouts, so of course, in the end, I had to lie to her…

" _Ammm_ …as a matter of fact…I can't share those things either" _No…_ the truth is that I could actually tell her about the deals I made with my petitioners, and if I had not been taken by surprise with her inquisitiveness, I would have told her some anecdote about a past petitioner, since I had plenty of stories like that "I had been ignoring the voice all day…I was busy with Nicky and the coal transport, and then I just wanted to get home to be with you. That's why I went to attend the prayer while you slept" I explained further, although she had not asked me.

She just nodded and continued eating. From then on, I could not shake the feeling that she had not believed what I said to her and that she had simply chosen to accept my meager explanation…or maybe it was just my imagination and my guilt playing tricks with my mind. I had never felt so badly for lying so maybe, I was maybe being a little paranoid. I was afraid that she would bring up the subject again, not sure that I would be able to lie to her again, but fortunately, whether she believed my words or not, the subject was settled, at least for a while. In that moment I could not imagine that later, the damned issue would give me real headaches.

The afternoon passed by without major events. We had fall into a pleasant routine in which we could spent hours without exchanging words, as if they were no longer necessary to know what the other was thinking or to communicate with each other. We settled into my armchair, and she started reading another book, only after she made me swear that it had not improper contents. It was easy to forget about everything that hung over my head at serene times like those. I was entranced watching every gesture on her face; how her lips inconspicuously emulated the words she read; how she knitted her eyebrows and curled her lips absorbed by the reading and her little gestures of amazement when something exciting happened. She knew that I was looking at her, so sometimes she would look at me sideways to catch me on the spot, but she only ended up blushing because I never diverted my eyes from her to hide that I was staring at her…my life could pass by just doing that, although I preferred to do other things than just look at her. At some point, I had to take away the book from her hands…

"Do you know that you have been reading for hours?" I said before she could even complain about me snatching the book from her hands. It was incredible that she had not changed her position, although that fact benefited me exquisitely, I could have her on me at all hours…

"Hours?" She gave me a dead pan look as if I was going over the top

"It's almost dinner time, in case you had not noticed…" She looked around to perceive the evident darkness that indicated that it was already dusk "Honestly, I feel somewhat neglected by you" I reprimanded her aggravated

"Neglected?!" She laughed cheerfully and clung to my neck "We could not be closer…"

"If you ask me…I think that there are always spaces to shorten" I said naughtily curling my left hand behind her neck in one inescapable grip to pull her unavoidably closer to me to snatch her lips with my mouth with a passion that only she could wake up in me. Her lips parted right away, always so willing to let my tongue wander inside her mouth and swirl around the deepest recesses of it. She clenched her hands into fists, clinging to my clothes and to some hair discharging little moans. How much I enjoyed her excessive reactions, I thought while my tongue displayed mean motions, going in and out at its will. At last, I seized her upper lip with my teeth and pulled it ever so gently before freeing it. Her warm deep breath warmed my face…

"What do you think about…taking a bath?..." I had been daydreaming all afternoon with that moment; I was dying to use the bathtub with her. She was still keeping her eyes closed, too stunned to open them, but not so much as not to listen to my suggestion. She nodded utterly.

Unfortunately, I had to face the first inconvenience of the big bathtub because a single trip of the service staff from the kitchen was not enough to fill it. I became very impatient while waiting for the girls to make the second trip. So when they finally did it and left the room, I pounced on Piper as if I had been months without her…I did not notice receptivity on her part as I nibbled her neck delicately while my fingers unfastened the long row of buttons that held her dress on her front. I stopped immediately and stood away from her a little to observe her

"What is it?" I asked with dread after seeing her concerned gesture

"Don't you find it mean that now the girls have to make two trips from the kitchen to fill the bathtub?" I couldn't believe her…

"No…I don't find it mean…it's their obligation, they are to serve…" I said thorugh my clenched jaw trying to control my desire for her, not wanting to be unconsidered with her feelings. She stood away from me, detaching herself from my embrace

"I don't understand your way of thinking…" I sensed she was about to embark on a discussion about what was right and what was wrong, delaying our bath "After knowing your story I can't conceive how you can treat your servants with such contempt…" I knew what she was referring to. I took a deep breath not wanting to argue, I looked at her tenderly and decided to explain to her how different the situations were, calmly…

"Pipes…these people are here because they must pay their penance" I found the comparison insulting…these people were criminal "Don't try to compare my experience…my family's experience as servants because we had no choice, with these people"

"No…I'm sorry…" Instantly her face showed tremendous affliction "Of course I'm not… _comparing_ " She walked again towards me and covered my right cheek tenderly with her left hand "I just think that being treated as property is not a very pleasant experience" I had forgotten that she had been treated as such by me, when she gave me her freedom "And I honestly don't think that terror and hard work are the proper way to make them pay for their crimes…"

"What would you do then?" I asked her really curious after a while; there was no other form of punishment more accepted than the one I exercised, nowhere in the world…

"About…?"

"With the prisoners…to make them pay for their crimes if not with hard work and fear…" I clerified and she seemed to ponder about it

"I…I don't know I guess…" I gave her time to think "I would educate them…I would…put them to work honorably, so they could earn some skillfulness, maybe assign them a recompense for their work…so when they have served their sentence they have the opportunity of a better life and maybe they would not be forced to commit the same mistakes that brought them here in the first place…" Her words made sense "You can't put out a fire by pouring oil on it" She finally said smiling timidly, maybe intimidated by my piercing gaze

"Do you really think that would work?" I asked her somehow skeptical

"Kindness always works" Her smile got bigger and I could only take her words for granted. Her kindness had already made an irrevocable dent in my being.

"Maybe you are right" I agreed. If she had been able to be kind to me after how I had treated her in the past, and in so little time she already had me eating from the palm of her hand, maybe after all her method of making criminals better people was not so crazy. Even though there were irredeemable facets in me, still she made me want to be better, and that had to count for something "Maybe I could change the way things are done here…and we could try and do it your way" I proposed, knowing how significant the whole subject seemed to her.

"Are you serious?" She asked astonished

"Of course I am, I mean…if it's so important for you" A slight beam was drawn on my lips

"Alex!" She exclaimed and wrapped my torso with her slender arms and squeezed me with all her might. I just chuckled at her evident bliss and buried my nose on the crown of her head "Would you really do that for me?" Her voice sounded muffled as her cheek was pressed against my chest

"I would do anything for you…" If she only knew what I would do for her, she would probably panic. She loosened her arms a little and turned her head to face me and propelled herself a little bit with her feet to reach my lips and gave me a soft peck that lasted several seconds, but never enough

"You are wonderful…" She said… _No, I am not…_ I almost wanted to warn her

"You know…I think the water in the bathtub will cool if we do not hurry…" I said making her laugh; I just wanted to put an end to the conversation about how wonderful I was.

Indeed, I had to heat some basins to get the right temperature before getting into the bathtub. We entered at the same time, and positioned each one at one extreme, facing each other and with our extended legs interspersed between them. She let out a moan of pleasure when she completely immersed herself in the hot water…

" _This feels so good_ …" She said heavily pleasured, closing her eyes and throwing her head back; her innocent words were distorted in my mind given them a nasty connotation

"I don't know…" I retorted unconvinced "I don't like it…"

"What?! This bath is incredible…!" She straightened immediately and opened her eyes widely, not giving credit to my words…

"I think I prefer a small bathtub instead" I said with disapproval and she looked at me with shocked eyes "I don't like all this useless space between us…" I made a gesture with my hand to refer to the stretch full of water that separated us

"Well…that can be easily mended…" She said diffidently and very slowly she approached me, barely disturbing the surface of the water with her measured movements, until she settled on me, straddling me with great ease. I remained befuddled without moving a single finger "Better?" She muttered piercing me with her azure timid eyes; I had to take a deep breath of air to clear my mind

"So much better…" I exhaled, losing all the air I had just taken and my hands clung to her hips possessively. She looked amazing, with her hair collected in a high bun, with some golden locks that escaped from it, framing her face delightfully; her skin dampened by the condensed steam from the hot tub and her perfect breasts covered with small droplets after having been submerged, but that then remained above the water level for my great enjoyment. Her sensuality was extremely appealing for me. Perhaps, what I found more alluring about her was that she was not aware of her own sexual attractiveness; it was completely unintended, since she did not have the deviousness to use her charms to entice me "I will never get tired of telling you how beautiful you are"

"And I will never get tired of hearing you say it…" She took my compliment with certain haughtiness… _Finally!..._ I would have taken her right then and there, however, I preferred to wait until we got to bed, after dinner and after having slightly _intoxicated_ her with some wine. So during the bath, we did nothing but to groom each other lovingly, worshipping our bodies intimately with immeasurable commitment

Our little rituals of mutual adoration only seemed to enhance the sexy mood in the environment. We got out of the bathtub and proceeded to put on our nightgowns, but it was a futile thing to do because I don't know how I ended up taking her to bed directly; she did not seem to mind skipping dinner. I laid her on the bed and settled myself on her, holding my weight with my elbows; somehow, along our agitated trip from the bathroom to the bed, our lips had found a way to remain attached, as not to lose each other. Her intrepid hands began to lurk in my cleavage, curling her fingers beneath the silky rim of my robe. I had to stop her in the act, dreading that she could hurt me with her hands; I pinned her down by her wrists that I held with tender firmness over her head… _And now what?..._ I pondered while watching her bewildered gesture from above

"What's wrong?" She wondered, taken aback my sudden interruption…I had thought of the perfect solution but I had no idea if what I had in mind was too excessive for her.

I let go of her hands and ever so gently, I dragged her by the torso aligning her body with one of the bedpost, so she would be diagonally on the mattress. Again, I held her hands together above her head, only with my left hand, while my right hand pulled with great urgency the belt that held my robe closed; it was made of silk, soft enough as not to inflict any damage on her delicate skin. With great dexterity, I tied her hands by her wrists with the fabric, and then I passed the silky cord behind the post, making a simple knot but strong enough so that she could not get away from it so easily. She watched me warily throughout the whole process and did not resist against my proceedings. Then, once satisfied with my work, I let her go and straddle her hips to watch her with a triumphant smile from above…she did not understand what had happened until she tried to raise her arms towards me, unsuccessfully…

"What…" She muttered with a deep frown, fighting against what kept her arms immobile…

"If you pull from it too much, you are only going to make it worse" I smiled wider when she stopped pulling the rope

"What is this?" She asked nervous, and threw her head back trying to see her hands "What are you doing?" Her voice became cagey and observed me with doubt…

"Don't worry…" I began to untie her nightgown "It will be fun…" I guaranteed opening the front to reveal the magnificent bareness that the robe kept so weakly. The muscles of her abdomen tensed nervously and I heard the air escaping from her mouth in a low murmur. I placed the palm of my right hand tight in the middle of her chest, in the plain between her mounds and I slid it down her body with my fingers splayed wide, leaving a trail all over her stomach by the tender pressure exerted with my fingers…I looked at her with devilry raising one eyebrow suggestively while my fingers came dangerously close to her weakest area, to her sides…

"You wouldn't dare…" She threatened me defiantly, thinking that I was going to torture her by tickling her; but that was not the kind of torture I had in mind for her

"It's pretty tempting I must admit…" I messed with her a little more, twisting my fingers in the air "But I will not do anything you don't want" I said with seductive voice and leaned towards her, to leave our faces separated by a few centimeters; with our eyes locked, I continued speaking in the most hypnotic voice that I only used to convince and soothe the undecided ones "I will do _only_ what you _ask_ me to do" The fact that she was immobilized could suggest that I was the one in charge of the situation, but in reality, she was the one who would take control of it, only that she did not know that yet…I had drawn the goal of making her talk, of filling her mouth of dirty immodest words and making her express her most intimate wishes and filthy secrets that I knew with certainty were lurking in her thoughts, she only needed a small incentive to release them, and only then would I do whatever she requested me, giving her absolute control over her own pleasure "I just want you to have a great time…and I promise you, _so it will be_ " I spread kisses all over her face, and finally I planted one on her parted lips "How are your hands? Do they hurt?" I asked her with real concern, looking in the blue of her eyes for any sign of discomfort; I wanted to be sure that I had not tightened the rope too much and cause her pain…

"No...they don't… _hurt_ …but…" She stammered stunned by my mesmerizing tactics "Why am I tied down?" She narrowed her eyes with authentic reservation. I felt some remorse for having her like that, for the sole purpose of not to letting her touch me, but I needed to be sure that her hands were indeed the cause of my pain, and in that way I could corroborate my suspicions with certainty. Anyway, she was going to enjoy it…

"Because…" I began gently "You are about to reach the skies and…" I joked, stroking her hair lovingly and ended up bringing my lips to the pavilion of her ear "I don't want you to lose yourself among the stars"


	41. Chapter 41

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** HAPPY NEW YEAAAAR! I wish you the best that can happen to you in 2018. You are amazing and you deserve the best! Always keep that in mind. Let's take on the world guys! ;) Lov U all! Thank you for your nice reviews and comments. I hope you keep enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writting it.

 **CHAPTER XLI (Piper's POV)**

And to the stars she took me…maybe my body did not rise to the skies due to the ropes that bounded me to the bed, and to the weight of her body on mine and her firm grip that she managed to keep on me at all times, but my mind and soul were free to get lost in the unlimited firmament when that delectable stir arising from my inmost hit me like never before, like a thunderbolt that crossed my body from my nape to my feet scorching my insides. I had my eyes closed, but I had never seen with such clairvoyance. I saw lights whose flashes had left me extremely astounded, that I assumed could only be the stars.

The sensation of having been tied was quite maddening, especially because my numbed fingers longed to take refuge in her black mane, the place I liked to hold her the most during our impassioned encounters. I had tried to break my wrists free, stubbornly attempting to reach her without success, since the more I tugged, the tighter it got the grip of the cord around them. She asked me several times along the process if it hurt and if I was alright, always concerned for my wellbeing, repeating over and over again that if it became unbearable, I just _had_ to tell her. Not being able to touch her was truly agonizing, so I was tempted to do so, to beg her, so she would set my hands free; on the other hand, my curiosity to know where we were going with the entire scheme was just too big, and ultimately, it was what gave me the patience to endure whatever it was that she had in mind. I decided then that I would only ask her to stop if I was _really_ in pain, which never happened.

She began kissing me with intense fondness, gently and ever so unhurriedly, promising me with her restrained cadence a long night of zeal, although I also suspected that her exacerbated mildness was to appease my initial apprehension when I saw myself completely unable to move my arms, feeling somehow exposed and defenseless. Maybe she was able to perceive my own sense of uneasiness, because suddenly, she looked at me with weighty eyes full of candor and her charming feathery voice calmed me down in an instant…

"I got you…" It's all she said, but those plain words had a much deeper connotation. With them she was telling me a thousand things at once… _I got you_...as _you are in my hands_ …as _nothing is going to hurt you_ …as _you have nothing to fear…_

"I know…" I said with resolve, giving myself to her irrevocably, in a completely different way, and like her, putting in the air with the simplest words that I trusted her fully. She smiled at me tenderly and leaned to my left, supporting herself on her elbow and resting her head on her right hand, to then stroking lazily my chest barely touching my skin with her fingertips…

"Tonight…" She began saying rascally "I want you to guide me through your body" Her fingers drew circles around my nipples without touching them, as she continued speaking, never taking her eyes off my face "I want you to tell me everything you want me to do to you…" My breathing was beginning to fade; I almost forgot how to breathe "Those are the rules" That had caught my attention, and forced me to clear my cloudy mind to ask...

"Rules?" I wondered perplexed

"Yes…rules…" Then she stopped caressing my breasts and withdrew her hand devastatingly away from them "You will have to tell me…what you want and how you want it" She said nonchalantly and observed me with impassiveness, waiting for my reply. And there I was, with my arms already deadened for their position, extremely confused with her words and trying to understand their meaning...I thought it was more than clear what I wanted, at least, she always seemed to know it better than myself so, _why would she ask me about it?..._ "I can wait all night long…there's no rush" She said with a casual tone, but the brightness in her eyes made me know that she was truly thrilled with the whole subject

"I don't…I don't know what you want me to say" I finally said after thinking what was her goal with all that. She pondered my words, narrowing her eyes with a caring smile

"I think I'll just try a different approach…" Again, she got on top of me with such care, that I could barely feel her skin against my uncovered front. She brought her lips ever so slowly to mine and as soon as she touched them, she whispered against them with heaviness "I want you so badly Pipes…" She wrapped my lips with the cold humidity of her mouth that always managed to soothe my fever, but only for an instant since immediately it could have the opposite effect "Every second…I'm thinking about kissing you…" She buried her face in the nook between my neck and my flexed shoulder, sniffing my hair and breaking through it with her nose to find my ear and whisper into it "About _touching_ you _…_ " She reinforced her words by kneading my right breast scrumptiously making me choke with a sob that got stuck in the back of my throat. I had closed my eyes involuntarily, and when I opened them, she was already hovering me with her countenance obscured by the dark hair that fell on both sides of her face, but her clear eyes shone with a golden gleam absorbing the dim light of the candles and the fireplace in the room "About… _fucking_ you" She sentenced at last; my mouth dried out and I could hear a humming sound in my ears, that always accompanied my fiercest blushes. She grinned diabolically at her impudence while my heart tumbled violently; nothing seemed to ever embarrass her and I was fascinated by her audacity, so natural in her…"Do you think about that too?" She asked with pretended innocence. Of course I thought about it; my mind always took me inadvertently recalling certain affairs or even fantasizing moments that had never happened, that I tried to ignore somewhat shocked to harbor those thoughts…I just nodded spellbound by her "What do you think about above all?…" My eyes betrayed me, as soon as they strayed to look at her lips. I did not need to tell her then; she had caught my blunder "My lips?" She moistened them calculatingly with her tongue, making them infinitely more alluring "Do you like them? Or is it what I can do with them what you like?" _Both…_ I thought helplessly "And?" She inquired and I forced myself to speak…

"Both" I said with a pant. She smiled widely and awarded me with an amazing kiss that lasted several seconds; our tongues entangled themselves in a quarrel for control. I got flustered right away and I realized how much I needed her all over my body. As I could not use my arms to hold on to her, I tried to do it with my legs, but they were also disabled because she was straddling me by my hips; the lack of control made me restless…She broke the kiss abruptly and I took an urgent gulp of air, but there were things that I needed more than air…

"Whatever you want…you just have to say it Pipes..." She reminded me

"I want you" I said almost like a supplication, pulling from the cord that held me

"That's better…" She approved "But I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more _specific_ " Then I understood that I would not get what I wanted unless I told her, and since I was out of options due to my inability to move, I had no choice but to stick to her rules. She saw the realization in me, and smirked victoriously. I would have hated her at that moment if her smile had not been so charming; I closed my eyes so that I would not be dazzled by it…I needed to think clearly and arm myself with some courage to talk to her and ask her what I wanted. It would be easier if I did not look at her face. I took a deep breath through my nose and tried to order my thoughts…

"I…I want you to…" I began saying with determination "To kiss me…" But immediately I lost my guts, not knowing what words to use to describe the things I had in mind

"How?" She encouraged me to go on, maybe sensing my hesitation… _How?…_

"Slowly" It was definitely the most delicious way to enjoy her lips…when she kissed me leisurely, she seemed to grant to every inch of my skin a devoted attention that made me bloat with joy

"Where?" That was a hard one…her lips had already been in so many parts of me, although just the night before she had proved that there were still unexplored parts…I wondered where else she could kiss me…

"All… _over?_ …" I said undecided; there was not a single place on my body that did not crave her lips; it seemed easier to tell her _that_ than to list body parts…I felt her shaking, and I did not need to open my eyes to know she was laughing

"That's quite… _nonspecific…_ " She said amused "But I'll try to do what I can, to show you how much I value your efforts" So, that's what it was all about…I would say something and she would reward me. I smiled at the simplicity of the rules; all I had to do was to overcome my diffidence a little bit. I opened my eyes bewildered when I sensed her moving away from me… _What about my reward?..._ I almost demanded, but I just watched her with curiosity as she knelt at the end of the bed, next to my feet. She made me part my legs a little to settle herself between them…

"What are you doing?" I asked her when she curled her cold fingers around my left ankle, and began lifting my leg by it…

"You said all over…and that's what I intend to do…" She said solemnly, committing herself to fulfill my request

She lifted my leg, forcing it to bend by the knee and posed the sole of my foot against her right shoulder, holding my leg firmly with one hand under the back of my knee and the other one still welded to my ankle…she turned her face slightly to her right and kissed my foot's instep, cutting my breath… _So there are other places to be kissed by her after all…_ I thought mesmerized while she peppered my foot with playfully fondness. She fixed her eyes on me when her little kisses became more daring…she took my foot with both hands and her tongue began travelling the inside of it. It tickled me madly, but I was so absorbed that I could not even laugh, not even when she started kissing my sole and run her tongue through my toes with great impudence; the sensation had me paralyzed and the image stirred my core delectably. I wanted to look away feeling a little self-conscious but I was strangely engrossed by those ministrations, which seemed to me exceptionally cherished. When she started to introduce my toes directly into her mouth, it became too much to witness, the whole display of her tongue was quite lascivious. I delivered a choked cry and threw my head back fighting for air…

"I can stop if you don't like it" I heard her saying casually…

"No!" I almost yelled raising my head in a hurry, alarmed by her words; I did not want her to stop. I noticed her amusement at my reaction and I tried to play it down "I mean…it's alright…you can…continue…doing…that…I don't… _mind_ " I tried to say with utmost indifference but each clumsy word, worsened by my ragged breathing, only made her smile to swell

"I wanted to do it with your other foot…you know, so it did not feel mistreated by me" She said offhandedly while her fingers got around my right ankle sneakily "But…if you are not very fond of it we could do something else" And she loosened the grip of her fingers around it

"No…no" I denied anxiously "I think it would be… _rude_ …" I said ramblingly…why it was so hard for me to talk to her and tell her what I wanted?

"Rude?" She raised her eyebrows delightfully. I did not diverted my eyes from her, looking for some encouragement

"My right foot is...kind of…" I trailed off in the middle of a vigorous blush, trying to deliver words with some slyness, as she always did so easily "Anticipating your… _attentions_ with… _keenness_ " I grimaced at my own awkwardness. My words could not be more unseasoned and dull; in spite of that, her face was one of enjoyment…

"Then…by all means…I better do something about it" She played along, maybe covering my disastrous endeavor to be saucy. She took my other foot and repeated each and every one of the loving demonstrations she had performed with its counterpart.

Fortunately, for a long moment there was no need to talk anymore. My reserved moans of pleasure and her loud sounds of taste were the only thing that filled the silence in the room, above the sizzling hum of the wood consumed by the fire at the chimney. Little by little, she began to ascend up my legs; apparently she had taken my words, _all over_ , very seriously. My pulse increased precariously as she approached my core; I parted my legs welcoming her when her face was already at my thighs. She settled between them and began kissing the insides of my upper legs, but as soon as she got too close to where I needed her most, she changed the course of her kisses turning away, beginning the excruciating journey again, until she managed to drive me crazy. I breathed frustrated and once again, I stupidly tried to free my hands, tightening the ropes around my wrists to the top…

"Hey…" She lifted her face from between my legs to watch me from below with a frown "I told you not to pull from the ties…" She said with concern and rose from her position to climb up to me. She straddle me by my waist and bent over my head to reach my hands and assess the ties, which she loosened a bit, easing my wrists a little; her open nightgown allowed me to see her plentiful mounds bouncing right in front of my face hypnotically. She told me something I did not hear, maybe awestruck with such a stunner vision "Are you even listening to me?" She demanded to know, that time I had paid attention because she was again facing me

"What?" I asked defensively. Her broad smile warned me that she had caught me watching her

"Were you staring at my breasts?" She asked incredulous

"What? No!" I retorted aggravated by her accusations, although they were right

"Then tell me, what did I say before?" Her tone was conceited

" _Ammm_ …" Darn it! She caught me! "Fine! I got… _distracted_ …" I admitted grudgingly for her great satisfaction

"I asked you how your hands were…do they hurt?" She asked me warmly, leaving the jokes aside. I debated internally if it would be right to lie to her and tell her that the ties were hurting me, so that she would let me free, but then I thought that telling her _that_ would only make her feel terribly guilty for hurting me, when it was not the case

"No…I'm fine but…why don't you let my hands free anyway?" I complained. She got up on her knees and looked at me seriously from her heights…

"This is a game of patience Piper and I have already told you…we have to do something about your lack of patience…" I felt that she was lecturing me; I snorted slightly bothered making her laugh "Don't worry…your patience will be rewarded greatly" She sealed her promise winking at me mischievously "Sooo…where were we?" She asked herself with a jocular tone " _Ohhh_ yes…I remember…" And also answered herself "Were you not telling me about how my magnificent bareness distracted you?" She asked me with grandiose arrogance. I bit my lips trying to keep a serious face. I squinted as if thinking about what she had just said…

"No…I don't recall saying such a thing…" I made a gesture of apology

"Are you… _sure_?" Then she intentionally opened the front of her robe wider, and let it slide down her back and arms, exposing all her voluptuousness before my humble eyes that did the impossible to stay fixed in her gaze, although they longed to take a quick look at her nudity "Because…I would swear that's what happened…"

"Nope…" I stood my ground, not wanting to lose in that silly game. But I noticed a certain glint in her eyes that right away let me know that I would lose nonetheless.

"Oh well that's a…a real shame…" She said with a flick of her tongue, really contrite, but I knew it was just a pretense "We could have shared all this" The gesture of her hands invited me to observe her body, and my eyes fell into the trap pathetically… _She's perfect…_ it was the first thought that crossed my mind when I gave her a leisured glimpse to her exposed torso "Do you like what you see?" I smiled like an idiot at her question with my eyes locked on her core that almost touched my belly…

"I do" I admitted looking at her eyes boldly "Like… _a lot_ " She raised her eyebrows appreciating my straightforwardness and a dazzling smile was drawn on her face, not of arrogance but of true elation

"Just so you know…I like what I see too" She came back to me lowering her upper body soothing my skin with her coldness "Like…immeasurably" She finished her sentence a few centimeters from my face. I tried to reach her lips raising my head but she avoided the rendezvous of our lips "You know…I think you are going to get your reward sooner that I had anticipated" I widened my eyes surprised "You've earned it"

And so, she gave in and kissed me profusely; I let her in, providing her tongue complete control over mine, the same she had on my body that laid utterly at her mercy. She only broke the kiss for a moment to change her position, extending her legs to intertwine them along mine and leaving her left thigh advantageously near my core. She returned to me quickly, with her lips showing a renewed desire, kissing me with more forcefulness than a few seconds ago, if that was even possible. I felt her hand sliding moderately down my body; her fingers traced my ribs like a ladder and at that moment I was so engrossed with the passion of her kiss that her playful fingers did not tickle me. My lips began to throb, slightly aching by her urgency, but I did not find the strength to protest against the brutish insistence of her mouth, that I found entrancingly pleasant. Meanwhile, my body followed the trail of her hand assiduously; it was stranded in the curve of my waist and I wondered what had happened that it did not follow its path down on me…if I had had my arms free, I would have take her hand to encourage her to go on. The pressure on my insides reigned in my body with supremacy, which made me let go of my coyness…

"Alex…" I got to say with ragged breathing in the peak of the kiss. She did not stop the action of her lips, but softened her drive infinitely…

"What?" She asked me between kisses. The new pace almost made me forget what I was going to ask to her…

"Touch me…" I sighed moistly into her mouth. Immediately, she moved away from me a couple of inches and opened her eyes, as if wondering if she had listened well "Down there" I specified, implying that she had heard correctly…

"Oh my…" She breathed out profoundly and a naughty smirk exposed her white teeth, stunning me like a lightning bolt. Then she slid her hand down between our bodies…her fingers were already tracing the hair line and a slight tingling sensation spread from the back of my neck to my whole body; her hand became still, although her fingers caressed ever so softly the fuzz of my pubis… "In here?" She was watching me closely with a feral look that speeded up my pulse. I shook my head in denial; she slid her hand imperceptibly down "In here?" Because of her humorous voice I knew she was delaying the encounter wittingly. I tried to lift my hips, but she had almost the entire left side of my body imprisoned with hers…

"You know where…" I said defeated after my failed attempt to bring her fingers to where I needed her

"Oh…you mean…" She said with realization "Here?" Her fingers slid wonderfully further down touching the exact point that seemed to throb painfully, longing for her cold touch to pacify the blazing sensation.

"Yes!" I delivered overly thrilled. That simple touch shook me with a violent surge of bliss; I pulled from the ties wishing more than ever to cling to her neck and a cry of pleasure got stuck in my chest…

"Holy heavens Pipes…" She murmured right at the entrance of my ear "You are soaking wet" She said with accusatory tone. I felt a little embarrassed with that announcement… _Was it possible to control that?_

"Sorry…" I muttered mortified. I felt small waves of cold air hitting my ear; she was laughing quietly…

"Sorry?!" She turned to face me and wondered with laughter "Trust me…there's absolutely nothing wrong with that…" Her gesture then became serious and her fingers began to slide along my intimacy, up and down, in a soft stroke "In fact…I find it tremendously appealing to have such an effect on you" She continued the agonizing movement while she spoke to me leisurely, with a voice that distilled raw lust "To get you all flustered and full of need for me…" My excessive breathing made it impossible for me to emit any sound; her words and her stealthy touch had me gasping for air "To know that you are always ready for me…soaked with yearning" I could not keep my eyes on her any longer; I found her gaze too overwhelming…

"Alex…" I wheezed closing my eyes " _Please_ …" I almost begged, so that she would not continue the agonizing movement of her fingers that only made my urge grow massively…

" _Mhmmm_ …I truly never imagined that you would ever plead me for it…" I opened my eyes bewildered by her sudden voice of naughtiness "Say it one more time…"

"Please…" I said with a hint of doubt, not completely sure that _that_ was what she wanted to hear. However, I thought I had stumble upon the magic word, because as soon as I repeated it, the caress of her fingers became more willful…

"Again…" She encouraged me harshly as her fingers displayed tempting moves at my entrance.

"Please…" I said again with more purpose, understanding the importance that the word seemed to have. She filled me in a single gentle thrust, taking me completely off guard, but that did not mean that she had not my consent, since I welcomed her inside me with bliss and contentment. She swallowed my cries of unmeasured satisfaction as she cherished my lips…

"You feel so good…" She purred against my lips "It's so warm inside you…I wish I could stay in there forever" I was suddenly so weighed down with wonderful feelings, that I felt I was about to cry… "Are you alright?" Despite having my eyes shut, the anxiety in her voice was unmistakable "Did I hurt you?" I forced myself out of my besieged state, before she thought something was wrong…

"I couldn't be better…" I barely got to say, but I watched her with avid eyes to show her that I was beyond alright. She smiled at me relieved and kissed me caringly as she gradually began to probe inside me with skillfulness. I wanted to do those things to her…I wanted to know how it would feel to be in her innermost, and above all, I wanted to give her pleasure with the same dexterity with which she gave it to me, however, it was not the time for that, since my tied arms prevented me from making my wishes come true…

" _Talk to me_ …" She hissed breaking the engagement of our lips, and joined our foreheads. Our eyes could almost touch each other in the small distance "I want to know…what's going through on your mind right now"

"You…" She was the only thing invading my mind, my being, my senses…she drew her face a little away from me and observed me with interest…

"Am I also _fucking_ you in your thoughts?" She asked me perkily, while her thrusting, although gentle, became more and more rebellious. I could not find my voice to answer, so I denied with my head clenching my jaw and trying to breathe steadily through my nose "Then what the hell am I doing there if not that?" She wondered as if affronted as she continued filling my insides with delight… _Say it…say it…_ I gave myself the courage to tell her exactly what was going through my mind…

"You…" I began but my tattered breath cut my words. I inhaled deeply thorough my nose, assembling my line of thought "You are actually not…doing much…"

"Is that so?" Maybe I had hurt her pride, because she then made an effort to prove her skills "Then I'll make it up to you, for how little I do in your thoughts…" She promised with a wicked smile and in a few seconds, she managed to spur my core delectably; there was not a steady pace, there was not a predictable drive, but regardless of the approach, she always seemed to hit the right place. A fire began to take shape within me; I knew it wouldn't take too long for that exceptional feeling to blast inside me, but as soon as I became familiar with new rhythm, she changed it, delaying my release and driving me insanely deranged. My breathing was erratic and I really felt lightheaded from the lack of air, and other sensations…

"Alex…" I panted her name unwittingly and I realized how good it felt to say it at that exact moment…

"Piper…" Better than saying her name was hearing mine in her jagged voice crammed with harshness; in spite of it, her gaze could not be softer…her clear eyes showed nothing but soulfulness "My Pipes…" She said in a more contained manner and then her irregular thrusting turned into one of implacable endearment, and then she did not seem to have intentions of continuing to delay my flare-up. She denied me the comfort of her lips that for some reason had turned out to be vital to me every time I was about to split open with satisfaction, but her sound stare was enough to reassure me. I could not contain the moans and cries that escaped from my mouth, choked by the lack of air and the feeling that was beginning to fill me from the inside out, like a reverberation of my pleasure "Come for me…" She proclaimed with heaviness, as a commandment, and that was the trigger that made me set off with untold force….

I threw my head back, burying it in the feathery pillow. My arms convulsed violently desperate to get away from the rope that kept them distressingly tied, to the point of cutting the blood flow to my hands and a dull sound invaded my ears, which made it impossible for me to hear my own cries. For a while I could not perceive anything beyond the flames spreading riotously into me and the soreness around my wrists, however, I embraced the feeling and my fingers curled around the ropes desperately looking for something to hold on to, fearing that her words would come true and that I would finish losing myself in heavens…I couldn't tell how much time passed until I was able to be aware of my surroundings. Above my rowdy wheeze, I heard her lulling words that sought to placate my berserk state…

" _Shhhh…_ " Her cold halite against my face brought me back to live "I got you…" She nuzzled my face lovingly and I felt her lips spreading little kisses all over it; after kissing my eyelids I opened them as if I had awakened from an eternal dream "Hello there gorgeous…" Or maybe I was still dreaming because that face hovering me could not be real… "That was…pretty intense, uh?" _Intense_ was an understatement "Are you alright?" Maybe I was not because I could not find a way to say a single word. She chuckled lightly at my fuddled condition, so she knew I was perfectly fine "I'll take that as a _yes_ …I'm going to withdraw my hand" She kindly let me know, and then continued to pamper my drowsy lips as I sensed the slight tenderness that always came with the loss of her within me and made me moan in protest "Don't be so greedy…I need my hand" She said playfully and placated my complaints with her mouth. She ran my body with her freed hand and broke the kiss to bring her fingers to my mouth. She coated my parted lips with the slimy essence and licked them clean refreshingly " _Mhmmm_ …you taste so good" She mustered and then proceeded to do the same with her fingers, before my astonished look. Watching her licking the embodiment of my arousal from her fingers was the most wonderful thing I had seen her do…I was enthralled with the image "Seriously, I'm starting to worry about you…cat got your tongue?" I laughed at her silliness rolling my eyes

"No" I denied smiling at her "There are simply no words to say"

"Did I let you speechless?" She asked me wiggling her eyebrows comically

"Yes you did" I said without hesitation, not caring about inflating her pride "Now…will you let me go?" I waved my arms as best I could in my position. The cord had tightened significantly after my stirring release…

"Let you go?" She retorted shocked "You will not get me to untie you if leaving is what you intend to do…" She captured my lips and nibbled them humorously

"You can't…leave me…tied…all my life" I said between her kisses

"Or maybe I can…" She pondered amusingly as she began kissing the line of my jaw "It's not like you can do anything about it" She breathed out against my ear and then her lips began descending along mi neck

"I could…" I spoke slowly, to keep my breathing steady "Scream for help…"

"Scream then…" She retorted mockingly and ran the area above my breasts with the cold tip of her nose "Nobody would hear you from this part of the castle…" She spoke with scheming voice approaching dangerously to my armpits; I tensed a little bit because those specific zones under my arms were another one of my weak points, as far as tickling was concerned, and my position left them in plain view. It was better to stay calm and not letting her know that little piece of information, in case she thought of keeping that ace under the sleeve "And in case someone did…" Fortunately, she diverted the direction of her lips to the center of my chest "…they would not dare come to rescue you from me" She threatened me sweetly and took my right mound into her mouth with excessive parsimony to suck on it with composure; the insides of my core contracted markedly and a new wave of desire swept my senses away… "Mhmmm…" She murmured with great enthusiasm increasing the sucking action until leaving my nipple scrumptiously stinging, releasing it with a soggy pop sound mixed with a cry of pleasure that escaped inadvertently from me "I like your tits so much…" She said and continued occupying her mouth with them, as my arms made the strings to grow tense...

"Al… _mhmmm..._ " I was trying to tell her to loosen the ties a little, but I immediately lost the track of my thoughts " _Please_ …" I mumbled incoherently, and I had no choice but to give myself to the wonderful things she began doing with her tongue and lips, to the point that I was no longer aware of the soreness in my wrists that was beginning to become uncomfortable...

"If you thought this was going to end so fast…" She talked as her lips crossed to my other mound "I'm obliged to inform you…" Her tongue wrapped the peak of it preparing it in advance for a tender bite as she seized it with her teeth "That I still have a lot to do with you…" She finally said releasing my left nipple to immediately mollify the aching sensation with her soft tongue…by then I could not control the noises coming from the back of my throat, and I waited impatiently to fulfill her last announcement "And I still have to attend to my own needs…" She had already begun to ascend again up my neck "You will not have believed that all this was only about you, right?" She asked me face by face, but I did not have the capacity to even try to comprehend what she was saying…A wild gasp freed itself from my lungs when I felt the cold humidity of her core deliciously pressed against my left thigh as she gave me a hussy smile and began grinding her core against me with verve, and then I understood what she had said about her own needs…my skin burned madly while her movements became more and more venturesome

" _Arghhh_ …it feels so good" She breathed into my mouth after biting my lower lip fiercely "I'm so wet" My mouth watered just thinking about it and my heart was pounding ever so violently, but above all, my hands hurt madly for not being able to touch her and wrap her body with them. I released something like a whine for being in such an unbearable situation "Don't worry…I have not forgotten you" She said amusingly and pushed her leg further to meet my center; I did not need her to tell me what I had to do, my own instinct and my renewed desire were the ones who pushed me to raise my hips and press my intimacy harder against her skin frantically looking for her contact "Mhmmm…that's right…" She seemed fond on the new addition, although my inconsistent rhythm destabilized her own; she fixed her free hand on my hip forcing me to slow down "Hey…look at me…" I heard her saying as I sensed her stopping her movements; I breathed deeply and fixed my eyes on hers " _Together_ …" She whispered tenderly "Follow me…"

And with that she resumed the swing of her hips and I felt again the velvety touch of her core on my skin; she guided my hips with her hand and the thrust of her leg established the rhythm until we orchestrated a perfect dance; she did not look away and somehow I managed to lock my eyes on her piercing gaze, I was afraid to close my eyes and faint or something. Her eyes then seemed to me the most beautiful thing in the world; they filled me with untold joy and I felt like the luckiest person in the world to share that treasured look and the intimate composition performed by our bodies and that I would only be able to perform with her...

"I love you" I whispered without thinking…

The words came out of my mouth unable to contain them, like the first time I had told her…I did not mind saying it, and I did not care if she did not say it back. The fondness in her eyes was proof enough of her feelings for me; she could be reluctant to say the words, but her eyes could not hide the truth. She kissed me feverishly, and amplified the tempo of our symphony, as we breathed and swallowed each other's gasps and moans. Her sounds of pleasure had me mesmerized; her breathing was deep and raw, like the low growl of a wild beast and made the hair of my nape stand on end. Her feral state seemed beautiful to me. Her movements became indomitable and I had to make a great effort to keep up with the unrestrained swinging of her hips and body. At one point the moans turned into screams and cries, and heavy rumble on her part that resonated deep into her chest, until it happened suddenly. The first time had been beyond anything I could have imagined, nevertheless it was with the second blow when I felt like I reached the skies, when I swear I got to touch the stars and I realized that that had been possible only because she had come to see the starts with me; I could not have reached such heights without her. I inhaled the icy gasps that came from her depths, needing her essence as the air itself. Our lips recognized each other with clumsy eagerness as we drowned the remains of our fervor, to finally bond perfectly into a tender kiss…The tears of bliss spilled from my eyes running down the corners and wetting my cheeks. I was exhausted, wasted, sore…but I had never experienced such a feeling of contentment. She abandoned my lips to kiss the wet trail of my tears, and ascended little by little up my arms to finally free them with a swift pull. The relief was instantaneous as my blood returned to my hands, and although I would have preferred my hands free, I could not deny that it had been a quite remarkable experience…

"How are you?" She asked me softly despite her voice coming out a little rough, and positioned herself by my side and caressed my cheek with her left hand…I turned my face slightly towards her to answer her

" _Splendidly…_ " I made an attempt to raise my arms and clutch my hands to her neck, but I could not lift them; it was no longer the ropes that prevented me from lifting them, but a great sense of heaviness "Although…I think I can't move my arms" I informed her jokingly, making her laugh lightly

"Let me see…" She took my arms with her hand, one by one, and brought them forward to place them on my chest between us; the change of position caused some soreness in them "Your wrists…" She sighed as she assessed my hands "Why didn't you tell me?" She wondered a little mad…

"What?" Her tone made me raise my head to look at my chest, where my hands were…but I did not see what the problem was…

"I have hurt you…" She said distressed

"What are you talking about?" I still did not know what the problem was, until she turned my right hand and brought it closer to my face so that I could see it better, and then I noticed the deep reddened mark that circled my wrist "Oh…" I frowned in bewilderment, because I really could not feel the pain, only an insignificant tenderness…

"I'm so sorry Piper…" She got on her knees by my side hastily and her voice sounded upset "It was not my intention, I don't…"

"Alex…it's alright…" I interrupted her and raised my upper body to sit on the bed to reach her better; I forced my aching arms to hold her face between my hands, which was hard because she was in a higher position "I'm fine…" I assured her staring right at her eyes "And I did not tell you because I honestly was not in pain…you are worrying over nothing" They were normal marks, like those that the seam of tight clothing can cause on your skin…She seemed to accept my words a little grudgingly, and very softly she grabbed my wrists encircling them with her long fingers, whose coldness brought some soothe to the itchy sensation of the marks. She removed my hands from her cheeks and brought them to her lips to plant a wet and profuse kiss on each palm; after that, she looked at me with regretful eyes and said…

"Nevertheless…I'm sorry…" I was about to argue that she did not need to apologize, but I knew it was futile…

"Come here…" I sought to clutch my hands around her neck and gave her a little tug inviting her down to bed with me. I had an accumulated desire to feel her in my arms. I let myself fall back to lay again on the mattress, without letting her go and she fell over me, not able to resist my drag, and came to rest her head on my chest…"My hands missed you…" I told her as my fingers intertwined between her abundant raven hairs to comb it lovingly…

"And I missed them…" She purred with delight, enjoying my caring strokes. And like that we stayed for a good while, as my hands came back to life and regained some strength after having been tied…

Later, we decided to go to the kitchen, remembering that we had not dined yet. It was quite late already, and surely there would be no one in the kitchen at those hours. She offered to bring dinner to our room, but I insisted on going wanting to stretch my legs. The kitchen, as expected, was desolated. The silence was extreme and the darkness did not allow me to see anything. She had to lit some candles and put them on the big wooden table. We did not have to look for food, since our dinner was already on our usual tray, waiting to be claimed for us. I did not want to sit down, so I began to rummage the contents of the tray standing next to the table. She did the same and stood in front of me one step away…

"Now seriously…was I not doing anything in your thoughts?" She asked nonchalantly, but diverted her eyes inconspicuously to the table. It took me a while to understand what she was referring to. In the end, I had not told her what was going through my mind, when she had asked me during our passionate exchange. I perceived her aura of vulnerability behind the question, and found her sudden lack of self-confidence engaging; she had a poise that exuded overconfidence and vanity at all hours, so it was a real surprise discovering that weakness of hers. Like I knew it was not something that I would witness frequently, I decided to have a little fun at her expense…

"Seriously…you did not move a single finger…" I said unflappably while taking a grape to my mouth, which made her frowned with disappointment, focusing intensely on the food at the table that suddenly seemed very interesting to her, although she had not taken a single bite of anything "I was the one doing all the work" I spoke casually after swallowing the grape. She turned her face to me and could not help her gesture of astonishment. Her lifted eyebrows with her widened green eyes, and her lovely lips outlining a perfect _O,_ that soon twisted to form an even more flawless sketch, that delineated the clearest representation of arrogance…her smugly smirk…

"I see…" Her white teeth gleamed in the dim light of the kitchen "And _ammm_ …" She approached me and finished joining our bodies by pulling me slightly by my waist with her left hand, that immediately wrapped itself around it to perch on the lower part of my back "What kind of work were you doing?, If I may ask…" She wondered puckishly

"I was…" The skin of my face burned madly, but I took advantage of the dimness of the light that maybe helped to hide my embarrassment "… _Doing_ you…" I barely sighed, as it was hard to even articulate the words.

I lowered my sight and waited for her to speak, but she did not issue a single sound; I had to look up after some seconds of silence on her part, to face the quintessence of haughtiness. She had a smirk imbedded in complacency that contrasted sharply with her deep darkened gaze that endangered my mind and sanity; all of her had a radiance of imperilment that I found tremendously appealing and made my legs weaken and hold on to her arms looking for support and not to fall on my knees. The speed with which she attacked my lips took me off guard, and thank goodness she was also holding my body firmly because the blast of her hasty passion made me lose the grip I had on her. She turned me around by my waist and imprisoned me against the table with her body with impetus and my hands sought to lean against the wooden board behind my back. In an instant, the table was no longer behind me, but I felt it pressed against my upper legs, on my front. From behind, she forced me forward against the table, holding my hands against it…

"We have to keep it down…and be quiet…" She said with ragged breath against my right ear and started kissing the side of my neck as her right hand began to sneak between the front lapels of my robe...

"Alex…what are you doing?" I hissed with nervousness

"What do you think I am doing?" She said and took my earlobe with her lips to suck it while her hand was already approaching dangerously down, running my abdomen with keenness…

"Wait…no…we shouldn't…" No matter how deranged my senses were at that moment, I could not forget where we were; anyone could see us "Stop it!" I took her arm with my hands to draw her hand out from under my nightgown…

"Hands on the table…" She ordered me with such authority that without questioning her request, I put my hands back on the rough wooden surface

"Alex…someone could…find us…" A moan interrupted my words when her hand intruded between my legs. My hands hit the tray and knocked down the metal jug with the wine, spilling the red liquid and splattering my nightgown in the process…

" _Shhhh_ …be quiet…" She reminded me as she chuckled lightly at my ear "Or they will listen to us…" Her words only made me grow tense; I wanted her to stop but as soon as she began the stroking movement of her fingers, I forgot the reason to do it…I only knew that it was imperative to keep quiet…I clenched my jaw and surrendered to her touch "That's right…" She buried her nose in the back of my head; her sharp breathing on my nape made my skin crawl. I closed my eyes and got carried away…

"Who the hell is in my kitchen!?" I heard suddenly; my heart came to a halt and my whole body froze…fortunately, Alex was smoother.

"Be casual" She barely whispered very close to my ear and immediately withdrew her hand from me, turned around and covered me with her body, giving me time to recompose from my startled state "Calm down Red…it's us…" She spoke out loud with great ease, while I stayed behind her and adjusted my untidy nightgown and catch my breath "We have come to eat something, it was not our intention to wake you up" Luckily the kitchen was pretty dim, so probably Red did not get to see our compromising situation

"And why the hell do you do it like thieves in the middle of the night?" Red said with reproachful tone always remarked with her rough pronunciation, as she approached our way with an oil lamp "You could have lit a torch or something to light the place better" She pointed the beam of her lamp towards us and assessed us…I tried to hide behind Alex's shoulder, but it was in vain because Red had walked around us

"Hi Red…" I greeted her in an effort to sound extra casual, but my voice came out a little too sharp. I knew that my attempt to be blasé had failed when I watched Alex out of the corner of my eye ducking her head to keep from laughing

"You were _eating_ something…" Red repeated with skepticism staring at the wine stain on my robe and the mess in the table "Next time, limit yourself to your room for _that_ " She said with strictness, turned around and started walking back where she came from "You better clean the mess…I won't do it" She yelled at last just before disappearing behind the back door. When she was gone, I could breathe again; never had my embarrassment been so fierce…on the contrary, Alex seemed to enjoy greatly the whole situation, because she began to laugh animatedly…

"You think it's funny?" I said exasperated giving her a slap on her shoulder, but that only made her laugh even more "I told you to stop…" In my altered condition, I still did an effort to keep my voice down…

"I guess you were not convincing enough when you asked me…" She said overly pleased

"She saw us Alex!" I barely mouthed a hushed exclaim…

"She did not see us…" She assured me with tenderness

"But she knew what we were doing…" Of that I was sure, but I was still hoping that she would tell me otherwise, to pacify my mortification

"Oh well…anyone would have known just by seeing you…" She spoke with low voice and big smile

"What? What do you mean?" I asked with dismay

"You couldn't be more _obvious_ …" She explained tenderly "But I guess I'm the only one to blame for getting you all flustered…" She grabbed me by my waist and pulled me towards her with a mischievous smirk that promised me all kind of troubles…

"Don't you even think about it!" I warned her firmly, keeping her away from me by putting my hands on her shoulders "We must clean up the mess we have made" The last thing I wanted was to upset Red by leaving her kitchen grubby, much less after what had happened...I did not even know if I would be able to look her in the eye after that…

"Fine!" She agreed letting go of my waist. I went immediately to take some rags to start drying the spilled wine "But you must know that you owe me a passionate encounter on this very table" She said as a matter of fact when I was back with her…

"That's _not_ going to happen" I said throwing at her one of the rags for her to start cleaning, which she cut short in the air with great dexterity

"We'll see…" She said at last overconfident, only to bug me further, because deep down I knew that if she really wanted, it would end up happening. I had long since run out of willpower when it came to her…


	42. Chapter 42

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** No guys...I did not forget to update! That only happened once! hahaha...But it's ok if you remind me once in a while when it takes me so long to update, just in case XD. I simply have not had time to re-read the chapter looking for mistakes, although there are some errors that go unnoticed, I always check a couple of times before updating. Thank you for your patience, and enjoy! ;)

 **CHAPTER XLII (Alex's POV)**

"Would you stop already?" I told her while toring from her hands the yellowish papers she was reading carefully for the thousandth time "Everything will be fine" I assured her. Market's day had arrived and Piper was extremely nervous. It was the first time she had taken care of the accounts and checking the inventory completely on her own and she wanted everything to go perfectly. That month it was necessary to make an important purchase, to replenish the decimated stocks of provisions. That's why I was so proud of her; it was not easy to check and organize the inventory when the purchase was so big.

"What if I missed something?" She finally raised her eyes from the table to look at me

"You did not…trust me, I would know it" She had made me go through the endless list over and over again, in case she had forgotten something "You have done a perfect job, now please…could you pay me some attention before you leave me alone for the day?" That made her to give me a thoughtful look…

"I really don't have to go…" She started saying remorseful, so I had to cut her right away…

"No…I want you to go, it will do you good, besides I know how much you enjoyed your first time in the market" And the second time she could not go because she had been recovering from the horse fall. The truth, I would have preferred her to stay with me, but depriving her of something that she enjoyed so much would have been too selfish, even for me.

It had been settled then, she would go to the market. I had a hard time convincing her to go the previous days. After Red had caught us in her kitchen, she had been reluctant to see her… _I won't be able to see her in the face Alex, I will never walk into that kitchen again!..._ She had told me after the incident, sunk in disgrace while I had fun with her misery. It had been four days of that, and somehow she had managed perfectly so as not to run into Red, but if she wanted to go to the market, she would have to stop being silly. After breakfast, I walked her to the stables, where Nicky and Red were already organizing the wagons. As we approached them, Piper became gradually tense…

"Piper, you are being silly…" I turned my face towards her while we walked, to reassure her "Trust me, you are making a big deal out of it…she probably doesn't remember the subject anymore" I knew that Red could not care less about what had happened that night; maybe she was a little annoyed because we messed up her kitchen with the wine, but we had left the place spotless…

"I think she's angry…look at her face" She said in a nervous voice and I looked ahead to see Red in the distance…

"Pipes…that's her face, she always looks mad" I laughed to soothe her uneasiness, but it did not work; we continued walking as her steps became heavier as we got closer to the stables…

"Look who's finally here!" Nicky was the one to greet us with annoyance "We were about to leave without you" Nicky always got nervous and was easily upset on market days, and I perfectly knew that a certain woman was the cause of her restiveness...

"Relax Nicky…the market is not going anywhere…" I rolled my eyes knowing that it would be impossible to deal with her that day…She turned around hastily and went to supervise the work of the men that were preparing the wagons and were meant to accompany them…

"Good morning girls" Red saluted us cheerfully

"Hi Red" I said with familiarity

"Good morning Red" However, Piper's greeting was awkwardly over ceremonial "I'll go and see the horses" She added and walked away from us with her face heated greatly. I couldn't help but laugh

"What's wrong with her?" Red asked me with concern

"She's…a bit embarrassed about the other night" I explained her with a smile and she laughed with me.

I walked into the stable to prepare my horse, since I was going to accompany them all the way to the border of the Shadow Lands. I offered her to ride with me on my horse, wanting to spend as much time as possible with her, something to which she agreed more than happy. And then, we started the march and I stayed with her behind the group, riding at a very slow pace established by the wagons in front of us…

"You really can't come with us?" She wondered with sorrow from behind at some point along the road. She kept her arms curled around my torso with extreme firmness, as if she could lost her balance with the slow pace we had; her front was pressed nicely against my back so I couldn't complaint about her covetousness…

"No…I'm sorry" I really regretted not being able to share the day with her "I already told you…I can't leave the Shadow Lands unless someone requests my services…"

"What if I require your services?" She asked, and I thought I had detected certain impudence in her tone, but what I could definitely perceive was her right hand sliding down my abdomen over my shirt, approaching dangerously to the line of my pants…my smile could not be wider. Lately, she seemed more comfortable and uninhibited when it came to talking about certain themes, gaining confidence about her sexuality, what I found tremendously alluring

"Much to my regret…I could not make an exception, not even before such a tempting appeal" I turned my head to the right and told her over my shoulder

"Why not?" She asked with real curiosity

"The only way is that you were in real danger or in a difficult or urgent situation…" I explained her "And I hope that never happens…" I said grimly. It caused me real anxiety to let her out of my reach, even though I knew she was in good hands with Red and Nicky, besides, nobody would dare to mess with them knowing where they came from…

"But you always appear when I call you…and I have not been in danger…" Since she learned that she could invoke me thinking of my name, it had become something habitual in her to call me if she missed me when I had to absent myself even for a short time

"That's different, because I can move freely inside the Shadow Lands…but the only way I can go out, is to attend a _real_ plea" She fell silent as if thinking about what I had just told her…

"I could really beg" _When had she become so sassy?_ I wondered admiringly. She had learned very quickly how much I liked to hear her beg in bed

"Even so, I could not do anything…" I said with great regret, thinking that it was not too late to turn around and go back to the castle to spend the day in bed…

"That's truly disappointing…I would love for you to be able to come with us…" She retorted with solemnity, leaving the teasing tone behind

"I'm sorry…but I promise to make it up to you when you are back" In the end I decided to let her enjoy of the sun and the joyful air of the market; I had things to do too…

When we finished crossing the thick forest of dead trees, there was still a long stretch to ride through an extensive plain to the nearby hills that were the limits of my lands, but as soon as I saw the soft rise of the land in the distance, I felt a force that pulled me back and I understood, that the hills were no longer the limit, and that the border had retreaded significantly. I forced the wagons to stop with a voice of command and I got to reach the first car, where Red and Nicky were traveling…

"What's wrong?" Nicky asked me when she saw me, wondering why I had ordered them to stop so abruptly…

"Piper will travel with you the rest of the way…" I informed

"But we have not reached the limit yet…" She retorted puzzled

"I know that, I'm not blind…" I told her nonchalantly "Something has come up…someone needs me…" I lied, and I knew by her face that she did not buy my excuse, so without further discussion and to avoid Nicky's inquisitions, I made my horse to turn around to get away from the group and say goodbye to Piper…

"It's everything alright?" She asked me when I helped her down the horse; her face denoted concern

"Yeah, why shouldn't it be?" I caressed her cheek with my thumb and smiled at her so she would not worry "I just have to attend my responsibilities to be completely free for when you are back"

"Alright…" She said, but not very convinced

"There is something I want to give you…" I diverted her attention changing the subject and taking a bag of coins tied to my belt "Here" I handed her the bag and she took it in her palm with a frown

"What is this?"

"I know you said you don't need certain luxuries or fancy clothes…but…I want you to buy anything you wish with this money…and I forbid you to come back without having spent until the last coin…" I warned her in the end, knowing in advance that she was going to refuse my gesture

"But…it's a lot of money" She said weighing the bag in her hand. She was right; it was a lot of money in weight, what she did not know yet is that I had given her gold coins, no ordinary silver coins.

"I want you to buy the best…as it corresponds to your position"

"I'm not a princess anymore…" She began complaining…

"I was referring to your position in my life…" I explained "You are not a simple servant Piper…you are not my housekeeper, so you shouldn't dress as one" I continued speaking sensing she was about to start an argument "There's no discussion in this…" She knew she had lost the argument; she was stubborn, but there were still issues that she could not argue against me

"Fine!" She rolled her eyes extremely aggravated

"Until the last coin" I wanted to remind her with a threatening voice, to which she only nodded with clenched jaw "Now kiss me…" I softened my voice and watched her fondly while her surly face, so usual in her every time she lost an argument, showed gradually an expression that granted me that her grudge had already vanished. She looked at both sides with sneaky eyes, making sure no one was watching us, and hurriedly she stood on tiptoe to give me a quick kiss… "Is that what I'm worth to you?" I asked her with reproachful tone, pretty disappointed by the plain kiss. She observed me distressed by my claim. Of course I knew the short kiss was not because she did not want to give me a proper kiss, but because she was ashamed that someone could see us, always reluctant to show public displays of affection "Come on…nobody is watching" I assured her with a smile; she looked around again, and after making sure that we were actually out of the group's sight, she showed me with her mouth how much I meant to her… _Heavens…_ I thought while our lips melted into a passionate and elaborated kiss…how hard it was going to be to spend the day without her…

"Get a room!" Nicky's loud voice interrupted our intimate farewell; although she could not see us because my horse was standing fittingly to hide us from annoying people like Nicky, it was not hard to imagine what we were doing. Piper immediately broke the kiss and brought the palm of her hands to her face, perhaps to soothe the delicious warmth that was beginning to spread all over her cheeks with her cold hands, dropping the bag with the coins in the process…

"Darn it…" She sighed heavily with chagrin and I bent down to pick up the bag

"Don't forget about this" I handed her the bag again and she took it without further complaints. I gave her a light peck on her lips to resume our goodbye "I'll be waiting for you right here"

"And I will be looking forward to seeing you…" She retorted sweetly

"Come oooon!" We turned our heads to the source of Nicky's noisy complaint "We don't have all day!"

"We better get going…" I told her making a gesture of annoyance, and I walked her to the carriage where Nicky and Red were travelling "Be careful and have fun" I wished them all and stayed behind watching them part as they approached the hills at a slow pace.

With each meter of land that separated us, my anxiety grew to think that she did not have my protection out of the Shadow Lands. When they had disappeared behind the hills, I resigned myself and decided that the best thing I could do was to make a good use of my time, hoping for the hours to pass by quickly; they would surely be back for the evening, which gave me many hours to endure. I decided to make some rounds through the woods and kill some hours. I made a long detour, following the border of the Shadow Lands, and observed how the frontiers had shrunk everywhere. I did not like that at all, and I felt great trepidation because, to the evident loss of the extension of my power, I had to add the weakness that reigned in my body, caused by her in the last days. As much as I had tried to avoid the touch of her hands, it had been an impossible task to continue avoiding her. I had managed to do it but only a couple of times; when she showed the clear purpose of giving me pleasure, I could not contain her, especially because I truly enjoyed seeing her growing confident in bed and so willing to take the initiative; the last thing I wanted was to limit her in the quest of her sexuality by imposing her my forms. So, those last four days I had weakened little by little.

Since I took Sylvie's heart, I had not killed anyone, and to know that the cells kept the source of my relief, it became something impossible to ignore. She was the reason why I contained myself from going to that place. My true commitment was to sentence those who missed the second chance I gave them by allowing them to pay their mistakes serving the darkness; if they failed in that, their deaths were justified. But to kill for the simple reason of gaining my strength…that made me a murderer, and I truly wanted to be better than _that_ for her. On the other hand, if I did not do it, _how much damage could I bear?_ My unrelenting deterioration placed me between a rock and a hard place…the options were not overwhelming. Even so, that day I avoided the cells with all my might, occupying my mind with other tasks…I traveled through the forest without any specific direction, wandering in search of some miserable soul that would have had the bad luck to finish in that part of the world. After some hours of searching without results, I left my saddle tied to a tree and went to attend some prayers that had been revolting in my head for some days. Before evening, I decided to go back to the point where I left them and told her I would wait for her. Maybe it was still early for them to be back, but my anxiety made me stand on my horse to nail my sight in the distance, waiting to see their arrival.

An incredible feeling of relief invaded my being, as soon as I saw the first carriage peeking over the hilltop, to begin its slow descent down the slope. The smile on my face got bigger and bigger the closer they got, but soon I observed behind the group a party of men on horseback and I instinctively knew that something had gone wrong…I cursed out loud for not being able to get closer to them. The carriage where they were traveling was about to cross the limit, but the men on horse were faster. At the last moment, the carriage crossed the unseen frontier, and the men surrounded the carriage cutting its track, so they were also within my limits. I immediately interposed myself between the men and the carriage, but first, I shot a glance looking to see Piper to assure me that she was fine; her face was clearly alarmed, but she seemed relieved to see me; I gave her a tight smile and then turned my attention to Nicky to discern what the hell had happened and why those men were after them, sensing that whatever had happened, was her fault. Her face showed me that she had committed some stupidity… _What did you do Nicky?..._ I wondered in my head, while turning around to greet the men…they were nine, and they were armed to the teeth, one even had the insolence to point the crossbow to me, an action that would not have mattered to me if it were not for my weakened condition; I just had to remember about the time the men that had tried to escape managed to knock me out for a long time with a blow to my head…nevertheless, it was better that he continued to point the gun at me and not at the people behind me…

"Good evening gentlemen…" I greeted them with exacerbated courtesy "What brings you to _my lands_?" However, my question showed them who had the upper hand in that situation, letting them know who I was by referring to _my lands_. I did not want problems with those people. Our relationship was quite old; they depended heavily on my purchases, but I also needed them to supply my castle.

"Good evening My Lady" The oldest one was the first to speak, and showed his respect by getting off the horse and bowing while he took off his hat. The others followed him and did the same, except the young man who continued to point me with the crossbow "I'm afraid that your people have caused some trouble in our villa…" The old man said with his voice imbued with fear…

"How is that possible?" I retorted as if shocked by his accusations

"You'll see…they've taken _something_ without permission" Then I was truly curious and I frowned with true interest "Well, not something… _someone_ " The man corrected, and I did not need him to tell me more to know who it was "My daughter…Lorna…some folks saw her being taken by your people in one of your wagons"

"That is a very _serious_ accusation, sir" I said leisurely after some seconds of silence, pondering how I would solve that mess "I'm sure there has been a misunderstanding"

"We demand to check the wagons" That time, the young man holding the crossbow was the one to speak…

"Christopher!" The old man immediately reprimanded him

"You _demand_?" I retorted with amusement

"Excuse him My Lady…he's a little worried about his _wife_ …" The old man interceded in his favor. As I understood, Lorna had already married him, which worsened the situation and put me in a real bind. I was a great defender of the fulfillment of any contract; if Lorna had agreed to marry that guy, she had also agreed to a legal and moral contract that bound her to him for life. The situation placed me morally on the side of the young man, no matter how arrogant he was. Of course, in that situation, I had to stick by Nicky's side, and in no way would I accept that the rules were broken on our part…

"I think you forget who you are talking to, _boy_ " I said to hurt his pride

"I'm not a boy!" And it worked

"You are, for me" If I angered him enough and provoked him to shoot at me, they would be the offenders and not the other way around, besides, I was ahead of his intentions, _that_ arrow would not have time to leave the bow "Now, get off the horse and show some respect…and stop aiming at me with that _toy_ " His face became congested with rage and I smiled at him with a mocking gesture… _Shoot…shoot…_ I encouraged him with my glance

"Do as she says Christopher…" But at the last moment, the old man made him see reason. With his face burning with humiliation and a prominent clenched jaw, he lowered the weapon and got off his horse, although he did not bow to me, but I forgave him the insolence, only because deep down I had to admit that he was right to demand anything he wanted…

"That's better…" I approved his gesture and I too got off the horse. Maybe that little gesture of humility would be well received by them "Sir…" I turned my attention to the man who seemed to be in charge "For _centuries_ , I have maintained a prosperous and peaceful relationship with your villa" The man turned pale, perhaps remembering that he was not talking to an ordinary person "I can assure you that the last thing I want is to start a conflict with you and ruin our relationship so beneficial for both parties…" A conflict that they would lose, but I was worried about the people I had to protect, especially _her…_ In no way I wanted to cause those men to use their weapons. I could be quickly and disarm them all, but they were nine, so maybe one of them could have enough time to shoot; I wanted to solve the situation with words "I stand up for my people, and I am completely sure that they wouldn't dare to do what you say they did"

"My Lady…" The man began to talk but I interrupted him immediately

"I give you my word that, if I find out otherwise, I will be the first to guarantee that your daughter returns safely home, and I will dictate an exemplary punishment to the person responsible for such a _terrible_ offense…" Nobody would dare to refute my word. They could doubt it, but never stand against it openly. So the man had nothing else to say in his favor, although his eyes showed me his great discontent.

"Why don't you let us check the wagons?" Christopher added defiantly

"I must remind you that you have entered my lands heavily armed and that you even had the guts to point at me me with a crossbow…just that would have been enough to condemn you all, yet…there you are…still _breathing_ …" As a last resort, I was forced to threaten them, and I was not bluffing "So I don't owe you such a favor…" I directed my words to the offended man with great coldness, and then I spoke to the whole group "Gentlemen…I recommend you to immediately abandon my lands…it's near nightfall and then…I will not be able to guarantee you a safe conduct…and don't even think to follow us through the forest…once you enter, you will not find the way out"

"Please…My Lady…I'm just worried for my daughter…" The old men plead "If you get to know something about her whereabouts…" I even felt sympathy for him

"I assure you I will let you know" I lied blatantly, and it angered me to lie to that man. Definitely Nicky was going to listen to me when we got home…

"Thank you My Lady…" The old man bowed vehemently, and made a move to leave, somehow unwillingly; the other men followed him grudgingly, but they had no other choice. Even the offended husband got on his horse, but before getting going, he got to say in a sullen voice…

"This isn't over…" His threat did not cause in me any emotion. I turned around looking for Piper, to make sure she was alright. She was staring at me, and I could sense her anxiety, but she smiled at me clearly relieved that everything had gone well. At that moment I was also happy to see her, but I could not return her the smile because of the anger that was beginning to form inside me towards Nicky and her recklessness…

"Come with me…" I ordered Piper with serious tone. She obeyed a little frightened by my manners, getting down the steps of the wagon a little tense. I extended my hand inviting her to walk towards me. I took her hand tenderly once she was in front of me, to let her know that my anger was not directed at her "Are you alright?" I caressed her check and tugged some lose strands behind her left ear

"Yes…everything is fine" She said timidly

"No it is not…" I told her and then directed my gaze to Nicky, and spoke out loud "Find me as soon you get home…you and I have to talk, understood?" She knew she was in deep trouble, because she nodded with resolve, not even retorting at me "Let's go…" I told Piper and I got on the horse in a swift jump, and then offered her my hand to hoist her and helped her to settle behind me. When she was well secured, I encouraged my mount to ride with lightness, wishing to get to the castle soon and hoping that the fast ride would calm my anger. The trot of the horse made it impossible for us to talk along the way, so we arrived at the stables without having exchanged a single word; I helped her get off the horse and I ordered one of the stable guys to take care of the mount, then I took her by the arm and we appeared in our room in a second. I went to the table with the liquor bottles and poured myself a glass, which I drank in a couple of gulps. I let the alcohol calm my altered state and took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and middle finger…

"Please…don't be mad" She barely said with heavy affliction. I turned around to see her and as soon as our eyes met in the distance, my anger vanished…I walked towards her slowly and took her face between my hands

"I'm not mad…not at you" I assured her and leaned to kiss her lightly on her lips "I want you to tell me what happened in the market, alright?" She nodded softly and began to speak calmly

"I honestly don't know what happened…" She began "We arrived to the village and I went with Red to buy at the vegetable stalls, while Nicky told us that she was going to see Lorna…" I listened carefully to her explanation "She had agreed to meet us in the main square at the time of departure…Once Red and I finished to made all purchases, she accompanied me to buy me some clothes…I was trying on this dress and suddenly Nicky burst into the tent saying that we had to leave immediately…she ordered to our men to collect all the clothes from the store, we took everything to the wagons and we started our way back immediately…only when we had left the village behind, she told us what happened and told us that Lorna was hidden in our carriage…" When she finished telling me what had happened, my insides burned again with anger for Nicky's irresponsibility

"She will listen to me…I'm going to give her a lesson that she will not forget in her life!" I exclaimed with my jaw clenched, moving away from her, fearing having her around while I was so angry…

"Why?" She asked me perplexed keeping the distance

"Why?!" I retorted aghast "Do I really need to tell you why?"

"You even suggested her once to kidnap Lorna…"

"Yes but…not like _this_ " I had certainly told her that…but I did not know that she was going to take my words so seriously, and definitely not after Lorna was married

"Oh! Is there a correct way to kidnap someone?" She asked with sarcasm…

"She has put you all in danger…she had no right!" That was what had angered me the most; her impulsiveness "Besides…it's different now…had I known that Lorna was married, I would have never allowed her to do such a thing…"

"Why does _that_ fact makes the situation any different?" She inquired truly puzzled

"Because…before, she did not have strings attached…however, now her husband has the right to know where his wife is and to recover her…he has been offended"

"Does it occur to you that maybe she does not want to be _recovered_ by him?"

"Then she shouldn't have married him in the first place!" I almost spitted

"Do you think she had an option?" She continued clearly annoyed with my words "I was also going to get married…do you think I agreed to it? No! But I would have done it because I had no other choice!" I knew she would bring that subject up and I felt sorry at once for being such an idiot. I kept quiet and breathed deeply to calm my voice…

"You are right…" I gave in, softening my tone and approaching her again, showing her my intentions of not wanting to keep arguing "Still…the way Nicky did everything was disastrous and risky…and I can't forgive her for putting you in danger…" I looked into her eyes deeply and placed the palm of my right hand on her cheek "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you…"

"But nothing happened…" She smiled at me tenderly and moved closer to me placing her hands on my hips "I'm right here…"

"Yes you are…" I did not know if I would be able to leave her out of my reach ever again. I let her presence mollify my worries "By the way…you look wonderful with your new dress…" I had already noticed that she was wearing a completely new outfit, but I had been so pissed off that I had had no time to compliment her. She was wearing a delicate yellow dress that matched her golden hair, with a wide skirt and an elegant neckline that left her clavicles uncovered deliciously, and a top that enhanced her breasts and her waist.

"Do you like it?" She asked clearly delighted with my comment

"Let me see you better…" I took a step back to assess her in her entirety, and I made her spin so she would show me the back of the dress, with a low cut that exposed the skin of her upper back and shoulders "Splendid…" I approved when she faced me again and I pulled her by her hand closer to me "However, I must admit that it is not your best outfit…" She frowned slightly taken aback by my sincerity, and I leaned toward her to sigh in her ear and explain myself better "No clothes at all suits you better…" She laughed softly and withdrew a little away from me placing her hands on my chest to face me…

"You are _incorrigible_ …"

"Incorrigible?" I furrowed my eyebrows bewildered "Is it that you have been trying to _correct_ me?" I touched the tip of her nose with mine tenderly and sighed "To take me on the right path…?"

"No…I wouldn't dare to correct anything of you…you are perfect" Her hands gently ascended up my shoulders and neck to meet in the lower part of the back of my head "And just so you know…I would happily follow you down the wrong path" Her words were the trigger to unleash the desire that had been accumulating in me all day in her absence. I took her in my arms vividly with a single thought… _Bed…_ while my lips were in charge of showing her my intentions. She clung to my neck with her arms and circled my hips with her legs; I walked blindly until accidentally I hit the bed and fell backwards to sit on the edge of the bed, so that she continued with her legs around me, straddling me…

"I missed you so much…" I told her while she broke the kiss momentarily to gasp for air…

"I missed you too…" She panted, and I did not give her more respite, grasping her lips with mine. My hands sought to slide under her skirts to squeeze her delicious buttocks feverishly through her laced breeches.

"How much do you like your new dress?" I asked her with urgency. On the one hand, I wanted to rip off her clothes as I did not feel like wasting my time, on the other hand, I did not want to ruin her dress that she seemed to like it so much…

" _Ammm…_ " She mumbled maybe confused with my question "Very much…"

"Then you better take it off…I could only ruin it…" The delicate row of small buttons that closed the top of the dress on the front seemed kind of flimsy to my anxious hands.

It took her some seconds to grasp what I was asking her, but her trembling fingers began the task with resolve, while my hands stroked her thighs with fervor and my eyes were nailed to her cleavage, eager to see more of her skin. As soon as she finished undoing the buttons, I watched her mesmerized as she began to shed the corset as well, without needing my encouragement. I searched her eyes for a moment, looking up at her advantageous position, a little higher than me. Her intense gaze darkened by hunger made me feel small and insignificant, completely devoid of control, completely at her mercy; no one had ever managed to decimate my authority so easily and the feeling of being subdued by her was devastatingly rewarding. Her warm and tattered breath enveloped my senses and her pupils dilated with every pounding of her bewildered heart. Only when I felt the flare of her exposed skin, I knew that she had already finished undoing the intricate braids of the corset, so I indulged myself to lower my face to admire her humbly. Her beauty would never cease to amaze me; I could admire her a million times and still, she would always leave me speechless. She rested her burning lips on my forehead and wrapped my head with her hands while I overcame my stupor…

" _Gorgeous…_ " I revered her before pressing my humid lips on her smoldering chest. As soon as my mouth kissed her skin, her fingers clung more tightly to my head, digging her nails lightly on my scalp. Then she forced me to divert the course of my lips to her right mound, deliberately making me turn my head with her hands, and as much as I enjoyed making her wait, that time I could not contain the urge to soothe her stiff nipple with my mouth…She released a dreamy whimper while my tongue wrapped itself around such a delicious treat… _Knock knock knock..._ I heard the sound but my body could not respond to it, even if Piper did look to be startled by it. I decided to ignore the call while my lips remained joined to her tit obstinately… _Knock knock knock…_

"Alex…someone is…at the…door…" She panted every word

"Let them knock…" I said releasing her swollen nipple after having sucked it gently, and directed my attention to the other mound… _Knock knock knock…_

"Anyone there?" Nicky's voice completely burst the mood…

"Alex…stop!" Piper asked me, pulling my face away from her chest…

" _Arghhh…fuck!_ " I cursed under my breath for the interruption "How did she arrive so soon?" I wondered perplexed looking up at her very tattered condition

"I don't know" Piper whispered not to be heard and holding laughter

"Maybe she'll leave if we don't make any noise" I proposed hopefully as she gave me a disapproving look

"No…you need to talk to her…I know she's very troubled" She told me sternly, making me release a sound of annoyance

"Let's have a _quickie_..." I almost pleaded

"A what?" She wondered puzzled; even if I explained her, she was probably going to refuse if Nicky continued knocking at the door

"Nevermind...!" I said annoyed "I'll talk to her..." I agreed; it was probably better to talk to Nicky and leave the subject settled to then continue calmly with what we had started, but it was tremendously difficult to do so having her beautiful breasts in front of my face…I sighed while observing them regretting having to interrupt our encounter… _Knock knock knock…_ againg the knocking sound… _Arghhhh!_ I sighed in defeat and assumed that I would have to wait to continue

"Wait in the library!" I yelled out exasperated, which made Piper cover her ears with her hands and made a grimace

"Ouch…" She mouthed…

"I'm sorry…now if you excuse me…" I moved to stand up and we got up together "I better go and rip Nicky's head off…" She was not only going to pay for what she had done in the market, but also for interrupting my passionate moment with Piper

"Alex…" She said ever so sweetly with plea, grasping my face between her hands and giving me the softest but deepest of kisses "Promise me you will not be too hard on her" She spoke kindly and watched me intently

"Will I ever be able to deny you something?" I retorted defeated

"I hope not…" She smiled at me victoriously and gave me a quick peck, to then encourage me to go to the library to meet Nicky. I went into the library to meet a nervous Nicky, walking from one side to another in front of the fireplace, and stopped when she noticed my presence when I closed the door behind me with exaggerated force…

"So you are not only utterly reckless, but you are also exceptionally inopportune…" I said harshly

"Were you busy?" She asked cautiously

"Busy is an understatement Nicky" Then she understood that she had interrupted an intimate moment

"Ohhhh" She muttered with realization "I'm sorry Alex…I did not know that you were…doing… _that_ "

"When you knock four times on the door and no one answers you, you should take the hint…" I reprimanded her

"Yeah but…you told me to come and find you when I got home…couldn't you wait a little? What are you? Animals?" She wondered with satire and I glanced at her in a way that made her regret her words and made her aware that I was truly mad at her "I'm sorry" She muttered quietly

"It seems that today you have many things to apologize for…" I got to the point

"Alex…I know I fucked up…" She began

"Yes you did!" But my anger made me interrupt her… _I know I fucked up…_ what a nerve!

"Please let me explain to you…" She kept her voice steady

"Piper already told me what happened…" I said irritated "What the hell were you thinking Nicky!?" I demanded to know but I did not give her time to answer to my own question "No forget it! That's a stupid question to make because obviously you were not thinking at all!" She lowered her head and remained stoically enduring the lecture "Are you aware of the risk to which you have exposed yourself?...To which you have exposed Red and Piper!"

"I know _that…_ I'm not stupid…!" She raised her voice "You know I would never put them at risk…Piper especially!" She threw at me "But I had no other option!" Then I saw in her face true repentance, and I knew that what she had said was true; she would have never put them in danger unnecessarily…

"What happened then?" I asked her a little more calmly, giving her the opportunity to explain things from her point of view

"When I arrived to the market, and as you will know it is my habit…the first thing I did was to go to the flower's stall to see Lorna" I listened carefully to her story "What was no usual was to see her parents in charge of the stall and not her…I asked them for her casually, and they told me she was sick…although something about the mother's gesture hinted me that there was something else…" She made a long pause and she clenched her jaw and took a deep breath

"Alright…" I encouraged her to go on

"I could not shake the feeling that something bad had happened to her, so I went to her house and I stealthily got to the window of her room, as I have done so many times when I visited her on normal days, but she was not there either…I could not leave without knowing about her, so I was determined to find out about her whereabouts" She continued "I asked some people on the streets and I found out that she had… _married_ _Christopher…"_ She had always said that name with disgust, but I had never seen Nicky refer to someone with such hatred "The next step was to find out where he lived…it was not easy...people did not seem willing to cooperate at the mention of his name, but finally I got to bribe a child to tell me where he lived…I went to his house and very carefully, I peeked through the back windows and I finally found her in one of the rooms…" For her sober tone I knew something was terribly wrong "I called her and she came to the window…she had a bruised eye; I did not need her to tell me that he had been the one to hit her…" _That miserable son of a bitch…_ I felt truly disgusted for thinking that he was right and for having being on his side when he came demanding us to check the wagons "She begged me to stay away from her…that he would kill us if he found out…she begged me to forget about her but I couldn't do it Alex…I told her to come with me, otherwise I would find him and tell him the truth about us…so he would kill us either way..." It was not hard to imagine myself in her shoes...what if that had happened to Piper? "Terrified, she agreed to come with me…we walked hidden between the houses as not to be seen, and we managed to get to the main square where our wagons were, I hid her in the back of our carriage and went to find Red and Piper to get away from there immediately…" When she finished telling the story, and I had understood how the circumstances had been, I could not judge her anymore for her hasty decision; I would have done the same no matter the consequences…

"Nicky…I don't know what to say…" I was also ashamed for having judging her so badly "I'm so sorry…I was so mad at you for putting yourself and the others in danger that it did not occur to me that you could have a compelling reason for acting so thoughtlessly"

"It's alright…I understand why you were so angry…I'm sorry Alex…I really never intended to put anyone in danger…"

"How is she?" I asked her referring to Lorna

"She is with Red…at the kitchen eating something…"

"We are going to have to do something to calm the spirits of those men Nicky…for whatever reason they deserve to know what happened to her…especially her parents…"

"You are not suggesting returning her to the Village, are you?" She asked alarmed

"What? No!" I assured her "I would never do that Nicky!" She gave me an apologetic smile for thinking the worst "I mean…we'll have to do something to keep the peace, we depend heavily on their supplies…"

"And they depend heavily on our money…without you…without this castle they would have no way to survive…" She was right...but that was not the main point

"Still…I can't allow myself to be labeled as a cheater and a kidnapper…you know my reputation is very important…"

"Yeah…you are right…" She understood

"Maybe we could say that she prayed to be saved…and that she signed a contract with me; that she paid with a lifetime of servitude" Everybody knew that the contracts with me were above any mundane contract made by common men…

"I guess…but I don't think that will be enough for Christopher…"

"Let's not worry about him…" I told her "I think that at the moment, it is not prudent for any of you to go to the market for a long time…we will have to send other people from the service with some guards to prevent them from escaping…but I don't want you setting a foot in that place"

"Red is not going to be happy about that…" Nicky said with some trepidation

"Well, she'll have to stick to my orders…" I also thought with sadness about Piper, and how market day was over for her too…

"Alex…" She said my name in a way that I had rarely heard in her. I waited for her to say something but she shortened the space between us in three big strides and hugged me with great force making me laugh "Thank you…" She said with joy and I hugged her back for some seconds

"Alright that's enough…" I said awkwardly after a very appropriate time.

"I was terrified thinking that you were going to kill me…and you've barely scolded me" She said after breaking our hug

"You should thank Piper for that…she asked me not to be too hard on you…"

"Is that what she was doing when I knocked on the door?" She smiled rascally and wiggled her eyebrows "I have to give her credit for her dedication…" She joked, and even though I gave her a hard look, I had to do a lot of effort not to smile "I'd better leave you again to your…adventures" She began walking to the door "I will go to see Lorna…"

"I can´t wait to meet her…finally…" I was really curious to meet the person who had managed to settle her head

"Maybe tomorrow…she's somewhat dismayed by what happened, she needs to rest" She said when she reached the door

"Of course…I hope she gets better soon…" I wished "Goodnight Nicky…"

"Goodnight Alex and…thank you for being so understanding, I truly appreciate your support in this matter"

"I know…" I told her smiling fondly at her and she left the library after returning the gesture. I kept looking at the door after she was gone, thinking about the events of the day but I immediately shook my head as if to forget everything, remembering that behind the other door _she_ was waiting for me. When I entered my room I noticed the chaos. I was surprised that I had not heard anything that happened on the other side of the door during my conversation with Nicky…The service girls came in and out of the room loaded with bundles and chests while Piper directed them…

"You can leave those on the bed, I will look for a place to hang them later…" So when she said that Nicky had ordered the men to take everything to the wagons, they had effectively taken the entire store "No no!...better place that trunk next to that closet…" She continued giving orders and I stayed in the back of the room not daring to interfere in the disorder; nobody noticed my presence, I was a master in the art of going unnoticed when I wanted to…

"This is the last one Ma'am…" One of the girls let her know

"Oh great! I thought it would never end…" She said relieved "Thank you so much girls…" She thanked them sweetly "Please Jones…could you arrange the water supply for the bathroom and bringing dinner?" And delegated with great ease

"Of course ma'am, I'll take care of it" The woman responded with genuine cordiality and respect. Soon they all left the room and I spoke out loud with admiration

"You were born to give orders" I joked making her jump a little and turning around looking the source of my voice

"How long have you been there?" I left the shelter of the shadows to got closer to her

"I did not want to interfere with your arrangements…you seemed to have everything under control" I took a quick look at the room as I approached her

"I know…there are too many things" She began saying contrite

" _Too many_ things, is to fall short…" I laughed

"I'm sorry...is Nicky's fault…she told the men to take everything…" She began excusing herself

"Calm down" I told her wrapping her waist "I don't care…besides I told you to buy everything you wanted" I was glad that _that_ had been the case "Did you spend until the last coin?"

"I did not have many options; I left the whole bag of coins to the woman…I hope it was enough money to pay for everything I took" She pondered worriedly

"I'm sure it was enough…don't worry about that" I guaranteed her

"How did it go with Nicky?" She wondered with interest, caressing my hair lovingly

"Fine, everything is alright between us but…I'll talk to you about it later. Now I would like to resume what we were doing before being _terribly_ interrupted" I squinted as if thinking deeply and brought her impossibly closer to me pressing my hands on the lower part of her back… "Would you remind me where were we?" She made a thoughtful gesture and the corner of her mouth rose delightfully

"I think I was about to follow you down the wrong path…" Yes, those words were what made me take her to bed urgently

"No…" I denied seriously looking at her with infinite fondness "I will be the one following you tonight…I'm sure you won't take me on the wrong path" She could only guide me through the right one, even if on the way I found myself with my own end, it would have been worth it…


	43. Chapter 43

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Helloooo! NEW CHAPTER FINALLY! sorry for the delay...you have no idea how much effort I put on this story, trying to update as fast as I can, but sometimes it is so hard, I need a state of calm and mental peace to find the right moment to write, and those moments are so rare in my life XD and to top it off, I also need to find myself really inspired and without disturbances. Anyway...thank you so much for your support and wonderful reviews...right now I'm going to check them all, so I'll see you in the comment section ;) Enjoy the chapter wonderful people, and let me know what you think of it, as always, your opinions are greatly appreciated by me! Love you all!

 **CHAPTER XLIII (Piper's POV)**

"She did not tell us _that_ part…" I was aghast after Alex told me the reason why Nicky had decided to take Lorna immediately from her home…

"As you will understand…after hearing the whole story I felt terribly guilty…" She continued while I poured hot water over her shoulders to remove the soapy essence from her back. She was sitting between my legs and with her back to me…"I was so mad at her for her recklessness for putting you all in danger…but then I understood that I would have done the same for you" I was touched by her declaration, that made me smile fondly…

"That's so sweet…" I told her tenderly caressing the soft skin of her back "But…you could not know about it…the important thing is that everything is alright now…and they are finally together" Of that we could be happy at least…

"I guess…" Her hands kept stroking my calves soothingly "Although I'm sorry because you will not be able to go to the market anymore…"

"If I'm honest…this time I did not find it so interesting…" I said with real indifference "The first time, it seemed like a respite to be able to get out of here…" I told her honestly, which caused her to stop the caresses of her hands and turn her head a little to one side attentively to what I was going to say. She always seemed averse to talk about the early stage of our relationship, when I was just a simple servant fulfilling my part of the deal "But today…I just wanted to be back as soon as possible…" I said leaning forward a little to speak closer to her ear. Her shoulders relaxed for the turn I had given to my previous words…

" _Uhmmm_ …I wonder why you wanted to be back so soon…" She said meditatively as her hands slipped down my thighs and searched behind me to grasp my buttocks. Lately she seemed quite engrossed in that specific part of my body; I had nothing to complain about it, since every part of me seemed utterly receptive to her touch. She pulled me closer to her so that my front was entirely pressed against her back…I rested my chin on her right shoulder and curled my arms around her waist…

"It has to do with a certain raven haired creature…" I sighed already short of air just at the entrance of her ear and I saw her cheek rising in delight

"Is that so?" She wondered roguishly looking at me over her shoulder, to which I just nodded "I don't know about you, but I think bath time is over for me" She added with teasing tone and stood up straight away to get out of the tub. For a moment I could not follow her because I was captivated observing her ashen skin shining with thousands of droplets of water "Are you coming or what?" Her voice took me out of the spell.

I looked up at her smugly smirk and grabbed her hand that was extended in front of my face to help me get up. After drying our bodies hastily, we headed to the room as if our lives depended on it, without a single layer of clothing on our bodies. She sat on the edge of the bed and got further into it by propelling herself backwards with her arms; I followed her like a moth to a flame, crawling to her until finally settling on her, _mounting_ her and grasping her face between my hands to delight myself with the clear green of her eyes. She raised an eyebrow suggestively sketching a perfect black arch and flashing her teeth in a wide smile… _Come and get me…_ she seemed to say without words, and so I did, savoring her rosy lips with dedication…

How was it conceivable to need something so much? I questioned to myself while I was overcome by the longing that she woke up in me and that had been brewing inside me for the last couple of hours, since we had not been able to mollify it with the constant interruptions. First Nicky, then the service staff with the dinner and the water for the bathroom…then we had dinner because I was famished after not having eaten all day, so we decided to leave the bath for later, until finally we were able to enjoy our mutual company without disturbances. My tongue intruded in the cold wetness of her mouth while her lips remained passive, allowing me to explore her at my leisure. In recent days I had gained poise, mostly thanks to her tireless push that finally made me open myself wider to her, _shamelessly_ , to share my thoughts with ease and trying not to be so disinclined to speak freely about certain topics and to _move_ unreservedly when we were in bed. I discovered then how liberating it was to belong to her not only in body, but in soul and mind, which was only possible by letting out all my doubts that only she could unravel.

I clung to her hair, undoing the bun to let the plentiful dark locks to fall heavily over her shoulders, I buried my fingers in her raven hair and brought her face impossibly closer to me, to press my lips harder on hers; the desperation to taste her was immeasurable and could only boost with our zealous kiss. Her body shook beneath me and I had to break the kiss taken aback by the vibes of her body. She was laughing pretty humorously…

"We are overly enthused today, uh?" She observed me with glowing eyes, as if trying to find the source of my exacerbated eagerness. Then I realized that she was actually right; I always wanted her madly, but at that moment my desire seemed to multiply by a thousand…

"I just missed you so much…" I softly whispered, leaning again towards her. That time I kissed her calmly, barely touching her lips

"Are you going to show me how much you missed me?" She murmured against my lips. I nodded licking calculatingly her upper edge to almost at once resume the frenzied encounter of our tongues…

Her cold hands began to wander on the extension of my bareness, sliding up my thighs with caution, to then creep around my hips to reach my lower back, and ever so sneakily, they began to descend to seize my butt cheeks in all its amplitude and play a scrumptious kneading that almost made me forget my initial purpose. I let go of her hair and my hands looked for hers behind my back; I curled my fingers around her wrists and I made use of all my strength to stop her, pulling her hands away from me. She broke the kiss abruptly and observed me in wonder…

"No…" I whispered very close to her face; the crevice between her eyebrows deepened with confusion…

"No?" She asked me with fun and a hint of disbelief as her hands returned to shape my cheeks with more eagerness…I tried harder and I managed to overcome her strength, or rather, she let me do it when sensing my resistance…

"No…" The second time I said it with more determination, bringing her hands to both sides of her body and trying to push her down so she would be completely lying on the mattress. She ended up surrendering to my intentions, and let her upper body fall back; I tumbled myself on her, while my fingers remained firmly around her wrists. She let me bring her hands over her head, and for once I experienced the overwhelming feeling of being in command of the situation; I smiled triumphantly…

"What?" She wondered from below enthralled...

"I like this…" I pinned her down against the bed with impetus, as she always did with me. I understood then why she seemed so into it…

"Look at you…so _hussy…_ " She said with a deep tone of approval and a crooked grin that could take my senses away…"I wonder what you will do next…" She challenged me with her unfathomable gaze and her scheming smile. My bravery boosted up and without breaking our gaze, I leaned towards her very slowly, tightening the grip on her wrists and enjoying how her smiling face became increasingly one of solemnity before my audacity. Just when our lips were about to meet I stopped and dodged her attempt to catch my mouth. I smiled at her feeling strangely empowered by the situation; I never had the opportunity to tease her "You are playing with fire…" She delivered as a warning, but I dismissed the subtle threat casually…

"Fire? You mean _ice…_ " I joked about her cold skin squinting at her

"Ice can burn as much as fire" She ended by saying and pondered teasingly "Are you aware that your advantageous situation can change in the blink of an eye if I wanted, right?" I already knew that the grip I had on her wrists was only possible because she was leaving me in charge; her strength was uncanny…I would never think of trying to beat her, if it came to use my force against hers…

"I guess…" I said nonchalantly "But you wouldn't dare to reverse our positions…" I sentenced with resolution. She observed me with a hint of esteem, trying to hide the smile that was beginning to flourish from her lips…

"What makes you so sure about it?" She asked with real curiosity; her face seemed to give off her enjoyment

"I thought we had agreed that tonight I would be the one leading…" I reminded her while leaning maddeningly closer to her "And I know how seriously you take your own words…" Many times she had repeated to me that her word was everything to her, so she would have to stick to her previous words, about her being the one that would follow me that night "Also…admit it" I barely captured her lips allowing me a brief taste of them "You are enjoying this new situation…" I could tell it by the mischievous glitter of her eyes, already so familiar to me…

" _Ohhh_ …you have no idea…" She retorted humorously biting her lower lip lusciously. Something on her face made me remind her to behave…

"Be good…" I told her seriously

"I'll try not to move a _single finger_ …unless you request my fingers for specific purposes" She wiggled her eyebrows insinuatingly; I just gave her a serious look "I'll behave…!" She expressed with solemnity, but her tone did not convince me entirely "I'm _all_ yours…" She finally assured me with a tender voice that left no room for doubt…she had left the jokes aside. I watched her overwhelmed for a long time…

Those words swelled my heart and chest with pride, and in fact they made me feel her _mine_ like never before…she belonged to me to the same degree that I belonged to her, fully and exclusively, in a way that could not be reversed. That beautiful and wonderful creature lay entirely surrendered to me, the same creature that a few hours ago had confronted nine armed men, completely undaunted before danger, because _they_ were the ones who had to fear _her._ While remembering the recent events I was assaulted by a familiar sense of craving, but with renewed force. Then I understood that I had found her demonstration of supremacy before those men, extremely appealing, and even more exciting it was being aware of my influence over her, as she remained completely submissive before me. I caught her lips mildly, in an attempt to control my yearning and take pleasure in the moment leisurely; however, in the blink of an eye, I was already savoring her lips with such haste, that mine began to hurt and I ran out of breath after some seconds…

"Whoa!" She exclaimed when I left her lips free to gasp for air "What the hell is going through your mind?…" She asked me amusingly. I could say she was truly impressed by my rashness. I observed her thrilled gaze and decided to tell her my little realization...

"I was thinking…" I began panting heavily…surely she would be pleased to know about my recent thought, of _her_ dealing with those men, but I did not know how to explain myself "In those men that were after us…" Her face became cautious with my words at once, which made me rethink whether or not to share _that_ with her…

" _Alright_ …" She said cagily and observed me with suspicion. Her reaction inhibited me and I did not want to continue telling her; my confidence collapsed like a house of cards…"You were thinking about… _those…_ men…" She repeated as if to make sure that she has listened well "And that's it?" She inquired before my silence. I internalized her words and then I realized how badly they sounded…

"No!" I exclaimed hastily getting up like an arrow to sit on her thighs while I straddled her "I mean…I was thinking about you…" I explained better "And how you…stood up to them…" After a second, I saw the realization on her face…

"Awww…I see…" She said with relief and came to me, sitting on the bed supporting her upper body with her arms. The shadow of a smile peeked from her lips… "Is that what got you so turned on?" She asked me raising her eyebrows with delight, while her hands caught my waist in an inexorable grip…

"Turned on?" I wondered with confusion at the new expression

"Yes…is that what got you so _aroused_ …?" She clarified

"I…I think so…" I admitted with a little shame, wrapping her shoulder with my arms and joining our faces impossibly closer…

"Why?" She inquired brushing my lips ever so lightly with hers

"You looked so brave and so… _daring_ " I tried to explore inside me what exactly it was what made me feel such an intense feeling for her under those circumstances "As soon as you appeared, I felt completely safe…as if nothing could happen to me while being by your side…" I told her as a confession

"And nothing ever will…" She sentenced with great resolution looking at me with her penetrating gaze able to reach my soul.

I decided it was time to shut up and give another occupation to our mouths than delivering words. I caught her lips with impetuosity, due to the gathered need that I could not keep at bay anymore. The desire to kiss her whole body… _my body…_ I thought with covetousness, with my power over her inflated and with a thousand images of what I wanted to do to her invading my mind. I forced her to lean back again, until she was lying on the bed. I resumed my initial control over her, capturing her wrists once more to pin her against the mattress. I noticed her more willing to let herself be carried away by me, without putting even a hint of resistance. I had her in my hands…I could torture her, make her wait for what she wanted, as she always did with me until saying the magic words of supplication that granted me the glory of getting anything I wanted from her. Nevertheless, I lacked the knack for putting those games into practice. She was better than me in games of patience, always making me wait. But I did not want to prove her patience, that I knew could be infinite…the problem was that I myself could not be able to delay her own pleasure. My hands let go of her wrists, yearning to feel the rest of her body.

I had learned a couple of new things in recent days; one night, in a moment of great audacity, I had asked her to guide me inside her…that experience had been magnificent, especially because of the intimacy of the touch, that in some way made me feel closer to her, _although I also enjoy greatly to kiss her down there_ …I rambled on trying to decide what to do with her at that moment. I knew I wanted to go down her body, but her lips were so appetizing that mine hurt to think to part from them, so in the end, I could not stop kissing her, not able to break the unrelenting dance of our tongues. My hands instead, were idle, looking for something to do and aching for her. My left one seized her right breast to massage it mouth-wateringly, as I felt the hardened tip against the palm of my hand. She began to emit a series of sounds that I could relish delectably in my mouth, as small bites of the yummiest delicacy. I soon felt her hands again clinging to my butt cheeks fervently, alerting me right away. If I let her touch me it would be very easy to deviate from my initial goal, losing complete control…

"Don't!" I protested inflexibly against her lips. With a grunt of grievance she pulled her hands away from me and I continued working on her lips while she let her arms fall on both sides of her body. I immediately felt the need to reward her for her compliance, so I forced myself to abandon her lips, knowing for sure that she was going to appreciate immensely if I occupied my mouth with other parts of her. I descended down the arc of her neck, traveling along the creamy skin with my lips as she delivered a deep hum of agreement. I had recently discovered how much she liked me to pay special attention to her breasts; she always held my head firmly at her chest's height so as not to let me go anywhere away from them. So I began focusing my interest on her bountiful mounds, white as milk and topped by faultless pale pink nipples that tasted like almonds. I was beginning to learn her body by heart, better than my own, memorizing the feel of her silky skin under my touch; recording in my reminiscence each flavor, uniquely different in her mouth, in her breasts, and in her intimacy, but all of them equally appetizing. I kissed her scar lovingly, as if I was able to erase the bad memory of her skin, and brought my lips to conquer the summit of her left breast to suck it delicately as my left hand kept itself occupied by treating nicely her right mound.

" _Arghhh…_ " She growled with bliss when my lips fused energetically to the halo of her nipple "That feels so good…" She gasped harshly, which only caused my mouth to continue worship the maturity of her femininity. She went on speaking words and small phrases that guaranteed me how much she was enjoying while I served her needs "I can't wait to feel you between my legs…" Unlike me, she liked to talk a lot during our lascivious meetings, and while our mutual confidence deepened, her words seemed to grow bolder and bawdier "I want you to _fuck_ me with your beautiful mouth…" She hissed at one point.

I was left without defenses before her words delivered with her deep voice that ripped from my cheeks the most violent blush…With her nipple still in my mouth, my eyes searched for her face to stare at her undomesticated stare as I descended down her sculptural body to fulfill her last commandment… _At what point did she regain control?..._ I wonder slightly annoyed, realizing that my control over her had been an illusion, since I was more than willing to meet her demands as soon as she delivered them… _Whatever…_ I thought helplessly; I was so eager to welcome her arousal in my mouth that I couldn't care less about who was in charge of the state of affairs, as long as the result was the same. Although I wanted to get to my destination as soon as possible, I coerced myself to enjoy the journey across her belly, at least to claim some authority, if I had any left. I noticed her abdomen tensing and trembling with every kiss and I overjoyed her emergent anxiety, leaving wet marks on her smooth skin all the way down, until feeling her bristly hair on my chin. I rested my lips just above the dark edge, on the soft skin of the lowest part of her belly, and observed her feral eyes beyond her breasts. She was supporting herself on her elbows, to see me better from her position with a sudden darkened gaze. I breathed deeply, allowing her raw essence to flood my senses; the mixture of the natural smell of her core, with the lavender aroma of the bath, was exquisite, and made my mouth to water…

"Go on…" She encouraged me with a wicked grin that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end…since I could not move immediately in my besotted state due to her intoxicating scent, she opened her legs wider "I need you…right _there_ …" She said hypnotically; I nodded spellbound, agreeing to her wishes and right away, I got to the point. I lowered my sight, to look at her center again; I traced her thicket of hair with my nose breathing her in as the air I needed to be in this world and finally I got to taste the saltiness of her arousal, running my tongue along all her slippery crevasse. I treasured her grandiose response to the subtle motion of my tongue; her profound moan could well be heard in heavens. I wrapped her hips with my arms and my hands clung to her thighs, firmly, with a sense of possession that woke up in me every time I gave her pleasure, and I settled placidly between her legs. I breathed out the warm air of my lungs against her cold and recondite inwards, enjoying the short pause before taking her again in my mouth. After a few seconds, the most I could dilate the moment, my lips went to meet her bud, already easy to distinguish for me, and I cherished it seizing it with my lips and stimulating it with the tip of my tongue…

" _Fuuuck Pipes_ …" She groaned overpoweringly, invading my ears with the resonance of her voice.

She buried her fingers in my hair and cheered me with a rough movement to enhance the perseverance of my mouth. I kissed her there as I kissed her lips, but focusing every movement on the small blossom. I learned that there was no an established manner or a specific way of giving pleasure, since it was all about alternating your motions and following your instincts; the intensity and pace of my shifts, would be established by her reactions to each of my moves and by her stubborn hand on my head that guided me with impetus…

" _Argghhh…_ that's right…" She approved "Just like that Pipes…please don't stop…" She pleaded with ragged breath, digging her nails into my skull without consideration, causing certain discomfort…

There was something about her rudeness that fascinated me oddly. Sometimes she was very hasty, especially when she was the one receiving my attentions. I can't say that she was hurting me, but under those circumstances, I had noticed that she was not as careful as when she possessed me, which led me to think that she was so engrossed in the things I was making her feel, that she completely forgot about being careful with me…and I strangely enough, took pleasure in her rashness very much. I clung to her thighs harder, matching the force with which she grabbed my hair, and intensified the ministrations of my mouth, sucking mercilessly the thin-skinned spot. While her fingers dug harder into my scalp, I buried my face more decisively against her core. I felt her plentiful dampness on my chin and got thirsty for her; I released her more than stirred bud, and directed my mouth towards the source of her arousal, to drink from it. My tongue wandered around her entrance, gathering her wetness with my cupped tongue. To imbibe her zeal was something out of this world, such an intimate deed that made me feel her part of me in a unique and thrilling way.

"I want you inside me…" I barely got to hear her say over my own sounds of gusto.

I immediately acknowledged her wishes, and my right arm uncoiled from her leg, leaving my hand free for such an important task, while I continued pampering her inmost with my lips and tongue. My middle finger then began to gently tempt around her entrance, caressing the edges with my pad, and my lips returned to work on her bud. Personally, that was my favorite way of being taken by her…when her lips and fingers joined together in the same task, stimulating so many parts at once. I thought I could try to do the same. Until then, I had only explored her with my fingers, when she had taught me to go inside her and to find the other delightful spot, and my mouth had already become familiar with her intimate parts, but I had never done both at the same time. I thought it was the perfect moment to try; it would not be so difficult, I supposed…to use my fingers and my mouth at the same time and stimulate both areas in chorus. So while my lips molded themselves around the little bud, I started to enter her with my middle finger, with the pad of it looking up, to distinguish the rugged but silky patch. Her breathing became a hoarse and constant murmur, a brute sound that resembled that of a beast and that made my heart beat faster with ecstasy. The grip of her hand on my hair became more severe, maybe she even pulled some strands out of my head, but I did not mind about her brusqueness. Little by little I began to introduce my index finger as well. When she had taught me to go into her, I had asked her how many fingers she used with me, since I really did not know very well what exactly she was doing to me, I only knew that it made me feel utterly whole. Soon, my two fingers got lost into her succulent recess, as if my fingers had been pulled further, and I began to stroke the irregular patch in the dome of her belly with my pads. It was a tricky thing to do to keep the rhythm of the stroke and the motion of my tongue over her bud with her restless body…I let myself be guided by the pace set by her rocking hips until I could match her cadence. She pressed my face harder on her and with a harsh tone she growled at me…

" _Harder_ …" Her body seemed to convulse under my lips and her breathing became shaky and uneven, while I fulfilled her last claim.

I caressed her interior with more diligence, curling my fingers again and again, with the motion that she had shown me by recreating the movement of her fingers in the air before my attentive face, paying attention to everything she taught me…My forearm began to burn with fatigue and my fingers were about to cramp, as well as my tongue that continued flicking her clit obstinately; my jaw started to hurt too, but even the soreness felt wonderfully, so I kept going trying to ignore the little discomforts, increasing the thrust of my fingers and the tapping motion of my tongue, encouraged by her laborious and violent breathing….

" _Piper_ …" She said my name like a plea and her body grew restless under my mouth.

She was about to burst. Suddenly her body tensed and remained motionless for an infinite second, and I knew she would be experiencing the wonderful explosion of sensations that I longed for in my own body. There was something immensely gratifying in giving her all of me for her own pleasure, and I could almost feel her _orgasm_ as mine…that's how she had referred to that peak, where you feel that your body does not belong to you anymore, because there is no possible way that a mere body could withstand such a marvelous feeling, and you remain alienated and oblivious to the exterior, while immersed in that state of pure rapture… _her_ pleasure was all _mine_ …I thought with pride as she continued moaning divinely in the air, arching her perfect body and nailing her fingers deeper into my scalp until making me grimace with pain, but that did not make me stop. An instant later, she let go of my hair and I felt immediate relief, although my skin was somewhat stinging. She made a sound of defeat and her body collapsed against the mattress, inert…I only could perceive the uncontrollable spasms that strangled my fingers within her, and I stopped the movement of my fingers, although my tongue and lips were not willing to come to a halt, and they continued adoring her intimacy with more serenity, at a slow and tender pace, waiting for her tremors to die.

" _Please…stop_ …" I heard her say with grievance, and I froze within a second, taken aback by her words…

 _Stop?..._ I thought that maybe I was doing something wrong… I looked up searching for her eyes, but she was facing the bed's ceiling, and I could not even say if her eyes were open or closed; I only noticed her chest rising repeatedly as she filled her lungs hardly with air. I was tremendously worried for her. Very slowly I withdrew my fingers from inside her, and little by little I began the way up to the heaven of her lips. I kissed softly every inch of her pale skin, with unmeasured fondness, seized by the feeling that I had hurt her, I didn't know how or why…but her pleading manner to ask me to stop put me on alert. My lips traveled the valley of her breasts, and climbed up her neck to finally conquer her dormant lips. I laid my hot body against her coldness, looking to mollify my heated state. I traced the edges of her parted lips with my tongue, and sucked in her icy breath that helped me clear my mind. She kept her eyes closed, so I decided not to talk to her for the moment, already familiar with that state of dullness. I waited patiently for her to recover her senses, and devoted myself to caress her porcelain face with excessive kindheartedness.

Right then, she seemed so _fragile_ and so different from the strong creature that did not fear to face nine armed men. As much as she told me that it was normal and repeated me that she was fine, I did not like those episodes, and I kept serious doubts about her explanations. However, I did not bring the subject up and I just comforted her with soothing strokes in her hair and face. I propped up on my right elbow, to keep my face above hers and be able to observe her in detail, while my left hand kept tracing the soft skin of her cheeks, the bridge of her nose, her eyelids, her eyebrows…Slowly but surely, her impassive face seemed to recapture some gestures. I traced the edge of her carmine lips while these let glimpse a subtle but evident smile, a clear sign that she was beginning to come to her senses. She opened her sleepy eyes, as clear as the greenish waters of the fountains in the gardens of my old home, and as soon as our eyes met, her smile became wider, showing her perfect teeth…

"Hey…" I greeted her with a mere sigh

"Hello beautiful…" Her voice, despite sounding a little worn out, managed to come out lightheartedly. That little detail appeased my worries a bit, and I tried to convince myself that perhaps I was overreacting and that I should not take the whole subject so seriously. That night, I let it go; I did not want to discuss the issue with her then. I did not know what to say, since all I wanted was to ask her if she was alright… "You have left me truly exhausted today…" Fortunately, she continued talking. I forced a smile trying to hide my true concerns, and since I had nothing to say, I brought my lips to hers to mold them charmingly " _Mhmmm…_ " Her low murmur vibrated against my lips…I felt her cold hand on my cheek and a chill ran all over my naked body "Let's get you under the sheets…" She said and instantly she let out a simply "Oh…"

"What?" I asked…she was looking at her right hand, and between her fingers, I observed the long golden strands. I was not surprised that she had plucked a bunch of hair from my head, but I had already forgotten about it…

"I'm sorry…did I hurt you?" She asked distressed

"No…the truth is that I did not even notice…" I lied slightly for her sake

"Anyway…I'll be more careful next time…It would be a terrible crime to ruin your beautiful hair…" She told me full of affection and proceeded to take the thick cover by its corner to wrap me with it cozily. I rested my head on her chest despite the cold, but the sensation of her soft flesh shaped into mine was totally worth it "It's quite late already…" She said casually while hugging me tightly "You must be exhausted…" I felt extremely tired inadvertently, and I had nothing against going to sleep, but I thought it was unusual that the mood had ended so soon. Normally, she always seemed so eager to have me…as if my pleasure was a priority for her; I thought it was strange that she had not taken care of me knowing how thoughtful she was always with me, putting my needs before hers…

"Yeah…it's been a long and… _crazy_ day…" I had to agree.

That day seemed to have no end, so I settled better against her body, accepting that it was time to sleep and I struggled to ignore the growing and unfulfilled need inside me. Despite the fatigue and her caresses on my hair and back that always helped fall asleep, my senses remained awake, maybe due to the need to spend a little more time with her.

"I was thinking…" I said softly while drawing patterns lazily on her chest with my fingertips, breaking the peaceful silence that reigned in each corner of our room…

"Mhmmm?" She barely murmured, inviting me to go on, while she kept stroking soothingly my bare back…

"Maybe we could organize a special dinner to welcome Lorna…" I thought it would be a nice and well-mannered gesture, to welcome her properly…

"Yes…I guess that would be nice…" I smiled to myself delighted by her positive response. Sometimes I got the feeling that she was not very outgoing; maybe she would not agree to a welcome dinner…I took advantage of her affirmative reply to propose another thing I had in mind…

"Also…I was thinking …" I began tentative, which made her laugh softly…maybe she already knew that I was going to ask her something more…

"What?" She said amusingly. I propped up on my elbow to reach her face and look into her eyes

"There are so many empty rooms in this place…" I began explaining "That it occurred to me that maybe we could use one of them for special occasions…"

"Special occasions…" She repeated

"Like Lorna's welcome dinner…" I enlightened her

"Why?..." She frowned confused

"Don't you think it's kind of weird to eat in our room?" I always found it curious that she had the habit of eating in her room, having so many places to use as a dining room…even so, I did not mind when we were alone, but organizing a special evening with a new guest in our room was another matter

"Weird how?" She wondered, as her frown got deeper

"I don't think it's a proper thing to do…"

"Ahhh, I see…" She said amusingly "Your high class manners are the one speaking…" She joked and gave me an laughing smile

"No…it's not about that…" I retorted a little annoyed "I just don't understand why someone would eat in their room when there are more suitable places for that…" It was totally absurd

"Because there is no point on eating alone in a gigantic dining room…that's why throughout my existence I have eaten in the comfort and privacy of my room…" She told me lightly, still, her words broke my heart. How had I been so stupid to not think about that? "I had never shared the table with anyone…only with Nicky occasionally because she always prefers the mood of the kitchen and now…with you…" She continued. An infinite sadness invaded my soul, thinking about her years of solitude "Hey…" She knitted her eyebrows together and brought her hand to my cheek to caress it with her thumb "Why are you crying?" She asked me with fondness. Only then I realized that the tears were beginning to fall down my cheeks. I threw myself over her chest and buried my face in the crook of her neck and began to sob uncontrollably. I felt her entire body tense and still… "Pipes?" She said with dread, completely oblivious to what had happened.

The episode made me think about other concerns that had been lurking in my mind for a while. I thought about her immortality, or rather, in my mortality, that was the real problem. I thought about what I would do if our situation were reversed…about how it would be to live eternally and see your love die, and not even have the relief of dying to join her. The imaginary scenario was unbearable to think, and made me discharge more tears hysterically…

"Piper…" I felt her hands holding me by my waist firmly "You are really scaring me…" Dread was clear in her voice…I was behaving like a baby; I forced myself to regain some composure, not wanting to make the situation worse. After all, she was the one who would be left to continue alone in that world. Surely she had thought about it; the last thing she probably wanted was that I reminded her of her own fate. My attempt to stop the tears from falling was futile and soon I began to breathe erratically…

"Alright…calm down…" She spoke with soothing voice "I'm sorry…I don't know what's wrong with you…" Her hands caressed my hair awkwardly not knowing how to appease my state "Have I done something wrong?" She asked with soft consideration. I felt sorry that she thought that my weeping had been her fault.

" _No…"_ I barely got to whimper mutedly, shaking my head in denial…

"Then what is it?" She inquired troubled. I breathed deeply through my nose to calm down for her sake…

"Nothing…" I said pitifully

"So you are crying over _nothing…_ " Her voice was full with disbelief.

I did not respond, granting myself some time to catch my breath and stop the tears…she was also silent, maybe sensing that I was starting to calm down a little bit. She caressed me tenderly as I recovered my normal breathing, while my eyes had no more tears to shed. We stayed quiet for a good while, until she finally was the one to speak first…

"Will you tell me…what's wrong with you?" It was not an inquisitive question. Rather, she seemed truly worried to know what my strange reaction had been due to…

"It's…nonsense…" I tried to dismiss her concerns fruitlessly

"Hoaxes!…" She said firmly and forced me to lift my face from her chest to discern the truth from my eyes "Tell me…what the hell is going through your mind right now…" She demanded to know sternly, although I knew she was not mad at me. I raised my body from hers, supporting my weight with my hands, and got up to kneel on the bed, beside her, completely oblivious of my nakedness. She also got her upper body up, to get closer to me and remained seated on her spot, looking up at me waiting for an explanation…

"I just…imagined all the years that…you've been alone and…" The lump in my throat cut my words "I hate to think of you…like that…for so many years…" My vision clouded and I knew that a new wave of tears was threatening to leave my eyes…

"How can you be so charmingly silly?" Her eyes showed her clear affection for me and her smile was the warmest I had ever seen in her. Just when a fresh tear began to peek out of the corner of my eye, she brought her hand to my face and wiped it away with her thumb "My Pipes…I was not even aware of how unhappy I was until you appeared in my life…" She told me tenderly "So you must not think about my past devoid of your company…the _now_ is all that matters to me"

"But, what about the future?" I could not help but ask in a whisper with dread "What will happen when I…" _When I'm not here with you…_ I could not say it out loud. Almost instantly I regretted my words. There was no need to explain further; her sober gesture showed me that she knew what I was talking about…

"Is that what worries you?" She asked me with endless melancholy. I lowered my eyes trying not to break into tears again "My future without you?" I nodded imperceptibly and my eyes burned with tears "I don't want you to think about that…because that simply is not going to happen…" The coldness in her voice made look up at her with puzzlement. What did she mean by that? "There will not be future without you…of that you can be sure…" Her certain words, instead of reassuring me, caused me more uneasiness…

"What do you mean…?" I asked quietly with unfathomable fright

"That if…in this life, I get to lose you…I will not be able to endure a single day without you…my existence ends with you…" She said resolute "You know my story, and how I became this that I am…there are thousands of desperate idiots who would not hesitate to stab my heart…"

Her sour tone caused me goose bumps; then I understood…She was talking about ending her own life. I was afraid to the bone to imagine it, and a feeling of indescribable sadness came over me at the prospect of a world without her. It was absurd to even think of that, because by then, I would not have the opportunity to witness her nonexistence…it was impossible, since I was never going to face the fear of losing her; _that_ was a sure thing. I did not like the dark tone that had tinted the lightness in the room. I linked my arms around her neck and hugged her with infinite strength, wanting to feel her while she existed, while we existed…she returned the hug clinging to my waist with an inexorable seize…

"Don't be afraid my Pipes…I don't want you to live with fear" She said with soothing voice against my ear "Everything will be fine…"

And I believed her, since I had no other choice than to accept our fate. At some point, I was going to die, and _she._..she would find the way to put an end to her own existence, so it all came to that… _first_ , my death, then, _hers_. No matter how morbid everything sounded, I found the perspective oddly comforting, and that's why I trusted her when she told me that everything was going to be fine, because in that moment I was not aware that there would be alternatives more terrifying than the scenario that in my mind had been established as the only possible end for us.


	44. Chapter 44

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hellooo! I bring you a new chapter. As sure you have noticed, great things have not happened in the plot, but they are about to happen. I'm working on the future plot and big things will happen, but I have needed some prior development to introduce things in the future plot. That's why maybe the story seems to be developing at a slow pace for the last chapters, since I wanted to work a little on Alex and Piper's relationship, which I know it is not a problem for you guys and that you love happy chapters ;) Don't worry about the future and I hope you continue enjoying the story.

 **CHAPTER XLIV (Alex's POV)**

In the late hours of the night, when the darkness bathed each corner of the world around us, my senses became sharper, despite my feeble state. The dim light of the chimney had already been extinguished a while ago, although the heat of the flames still persisted in the remains of the ashes. In the late hours of the night, I felt strangely comfortable and at ease. It was simpler to accept that darkness was part of me, or maybe it was the other way around…I could not tell. She lay asleep placidly, with her hot cheek pressed in the crook of my shoulder, while my mind wandered through the corridors of certain cells. While she was sleeping it was easy to forget the moral reasons that kept me away from that place… _why should I refuse the relief that the death of some evil men brought me?_ I wondered, not able to ignore my primal and shady needs anymore. Every day she made me weaker; her kisses hurt me and even her light caresses were beginning to turn tortuous, so…what was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to wait death while my body damaged inexorably? And when would _that_ happen? When would her love bring me the final _death_ instead of pain and weakness? When would the turning point come? _The next day? A week? A month?_ There were too many questions for which I had no answer. The only thing I knew for certain is that at least, the death of some ruthless men could alleviate me and buy me some more time.

In the late hours of the night, when the shadows prevailed, it was easier to surrender to my darker side, so I did not hesitate when making the decision. I listened carefully to her breathing and I knew she was in the depths of a dream. Ever so gently, I lifted her head from my chest and slid my torso to one side, to place a cushion under her so she could keep her position. I observed her carefully for a while, in case I had disturbed her sleep, but the rhythm of her breathing remained constant. Then I dressed quickly…my pants, a shirt and my boots…I did not even bother to put on my underwear. I looked at her from the distance, and felt disgusted with myself… _I'm sorry…_ I thought and then I proceeded to disappear.

I emerged at the hall of the cells, looking for Piscatella… _We need this Alex…_ I froze; the voice had taken me by surprise, after having go unnoticed for a long time… _I don't do it for you_ …I retorted in my mind with hatred… _Is it for her?..._ the voice inquired with sardonic tone. I almost burst with rage when hearing it referring to her…

" _I do it for myself!..."_ I sentenced out loud, putting an end to the annoying voice.

"Lady Vause…" I heard the voice of surprise behind me. I turned around and saw him…

"Piscatella…" I greeted the big guard that had appeared inadvertently through one door. He had a face of puzzlement and was looking around, maybe thinking that I was talking to someone

"Are you alone?" He asked in wonder

"Do you see someone else besides me?" I retorted a little annoyed by the stupid question

"No…no My Lady…I'm sorry" He said awkwardly, aware of his impertinence

"How many are there?" I cut to the chase

"Pardon?"

"In the cell 342…how many men are there?" I repeated losing my patience. I was in a hurry. I did not want Piper to wake up and find me nowhere around.

"Two prisoners _My La_ …" He had not finish talking and I was already standing in the dark place with the stench of misery. I cut my breath immediately and did what had to be done… _quickly and painlessly_

Those deaths were like rainwater falling on a man wandering in the desert…I had felt so undermined for so many days, that I could not even remember such a feeling of replenishment. With how well those deaths had made me feel, the next morning I barely remembered what had happened. I erased it from my mind without remnants of guilt for what I had done. The day was unusually promising and my renewed spirits made me extremely lighthearted. As soon as I registered the change of her breathing, I submerged in the sheets looking for her warmth…I pressed my bare front against her smoldering back, with my taut nipples finding relief in the heat of her skin, and I traced the hot edge of her ear shell with the tip of my tongue. She murmured with pleasure, although she still seemed more asleep than awake…

"Wake up sleepyhead…" I whispered in her ear making her giggle. She made an attempt to turn around to greet me, but I pressed my body with more force, making impossible for her to turn…

"What time is it?" She mumbled as I traced the left side of her face with moist kisses…

"It's breakfast time… _for me_ …" I said naughtily. She tried to turn around again, and that time I let her, to delight myself with her sleepy azure eyes, that began to widen attentive with a shadowy hint of desire "You will not believe that last night I forgot about you…right?" I asked her playfully, bringing our breasts together to feel her nipples deliciously against mine…

"Forgot about me?" She wondered puzzled, with her drowsy face. I was aware that the previous night I had been somewhat selfish, without reciprocating her attentions, but honestly, in my ragged condition, I dreaded to submit to that feeling again, so I avoided a new encounter…

"Last night…you did…such a wonderful job…that I was left without strength…" I said between little kisses, causing hers to leave behind their lethargic state "But don't worry…you are about to get your reward" I breathed heavily with seductive voice, bathing her face with my coldness, knowing the effect I could have on her…

"Oh my…" She panted, already besotted by my so effective charms. I enjoyed greatly how easy it was to get her randy. I seized her delicate lower lip with my teeth and gave it a tender bite. I felt the blood boiling on the thin surface of her skin, as if it was also starting to wake up. I soothe her red and sizzling lips with my cold tongue…

"Mhmmm, I'm going to feast on you…" I said roughly, wanting to fluster her further and heat her skin even more "I'm going to trace your most intimate part with my tongue…until you beg me to stop…" I smiled watching my words having immediate effect on her cheeks and neck "Are you wet already?…" I asked her as I slid my right hand beneath my body, to reach her sex "Oh fuck…" I muttered as my middle finger ran along her slippery slit. It was amazing how responsive she always was, since her folds were already hazardously moistened with so little incitement on my part " _Ohhh_ Pipes…you feel so good…" I approved while barely circling her clit, provoking in her a series of dreamy whimpers and moans.

Instinctively, she opened her legs wider, to grant me an easier and comfortable access. Each one of her reactions, no matter how small or insignificant, always raised my longing for her to the point of becoming almost unbearable. My touch was deliberately light; I wanted to delay her release, and judging by her wetness, I knew that the slightest and constant pressure would make her come unreservedly. She drove her pubis against me, looking to increase the contact with my fingers, but I did not attend to her demands and cruelly, I drove my fingers away from her warmest being. Obviously, she did not like that at all…

" _Nooo_ …!" She whined in complaint when sensing the loss of my touch; her nuisance stirred me deeply, so I thought maybe I would not be so cruel to her, besides, the night before I had surely left her quite needy; It was not fair to let her wait any longer…

" _Shhh_ …" I muttered trying to hold my laughter at her impatience "I won't make you wait…" I promised her and caught her lips moistly. Her hands were already entangled in my hair, making me flinch in advance, even though at that precise moment, I was not feeling pain. I broke the kiss to talk "I want you to do something…" I said with urgency, making her furrow her eyebrows as she panted heavily bathing my face with her warmth "I want you to touch yourself while I'm down on you..." Then I took her left hand, tangled in my hair, and brought it to her chest, motioning her to knead her small blossom. She started doing so looking at me straight in the eyes. She was beginning to learn to maintain my gaze, perhaps knowing how much I liked it "That's right…" I said with deem, encouraging her to intensify the touch "I want you to keep both hands busy… _understood_?" Her cheeks burned as she nodded blatantly, while she took her other mound with her free hand, obeying my wishes. I allowed myself a few seconds of enjoyment, watching her massage her own tits. I smiled really proud for her progress in overcoming her shyness. I kissed her affectionately, elated by her personal growth, to say goodbye to her mouth before going in search of other lips "Don't stop touching yourself…" I reminded her with gravity, since keeping her hands away from me was essential.

I began kissing her neck that she exposed more to me by throwing her head back. I went through the center of her chest, leaving a trail of wet marks with my mouth, as her hands kept working diligently, just as I had ordered, and I disappeared under the sheets, where the heat of her recent arousal remained condensed mouth wateringly, and her smell promised a powerful orgasm to be bestowed upon me. My tongue lingered for a moment on her navel, causing little tremors in the muscles of her abdomen. I continued down, guided by her rawest essence, and kissed with great appetite her lower belly, before venturing to cross her dense bush. I suddenly realized that she had cheated; I felt her fingers intruding in my hair at the crown of my head…her right hand had meddled under the sheets stealthily…I grabbed it firmly by her wrist and pulled it away from me…

"Uh uh!" I said with reproachful tone and I guided her hand to the surface, to put it back on her unattended mound "Keep it there…" I raised my voice so she could hear me over the sheets and over her sonorous wheezing…

All I hoped was to be out of the reach of her hands; perhaps the thick feather bedspread would help me to avoid her touch, as long as she did not slide her hands under it again. While my nose made its way through her thicket of hair, she exposed her center more openly to me, parting her legs wider, and her aroma knocked the senses out of me. For a moment I did nothing but breathe her in, so her essence could be impregnated in my mind, as if I could keep it in my memory. There was no scent that aroused in me so many feelings…

"Alex?" I heard her calling me hesitantly over the sheets. I realized that I had been stunned by her natural perfume for a while.

I smiled amusingly and got out of the trance, bringing my face closer to her centre. I did not dare to go straight to the point, never better said; instead, I went around her core, splattering the inside of her thighs with open mouthed kisses and little tricks performed with my tongue. I began listening to her little and unremitting sounds of delight above the sheets that muffled her moans, clearly enjoying my tender ministrations. If I got too close to her slit, I could immediately perceive her body growing tense and her breathing coming to a halt, holding her breath with anticipation, but instantly I moved slightly away from where she needed me the most, to then getting closer and closer again, until making her grow impatient. Just as soon as her moans became grunts of nuisance, I placated the ardor of her core taking her by surprise with my flattened tongue, giving her a generous and ample lick, running her intimacy in its full extent, from her unblemished rear opening to her engorged clit, making her gasp intensely. If her smell already was enough to ravage my right mind, tasting her was a matter of greater significance. I gathered the embodiment of her arousal and cherished it in my mouth; my tongue, despite being impregnated with her sliminess, was already longing to savor her again. I repeated the motion at a parsimonious pace, making sure to reach even the most hidden recess of her concealed anatomy.

The motion of my tongue elicited a guttural groan never issued by her; I smiled broadly at her eloquent response as I finished traveling the length of her slit. I ended up at the top where her little bud laid, throbbing in need for attention, but I barely brushed it with the tip of my tongue. I had promised not to make her wait too long, but I was not willing to give in to her desires so fast either…I gave her bud an affectionate kiss, wrapping it gently with my lips, as to assure it that it would not be forgotten, and I searched for her entrance, from where all her arousal emanated. I pushed my tongue inside her of a single lunge, causing her to whine delectably…

" _Heavens_ …" I think she said, but with her heavy panting, I could not be sure.

Inside her, her taste seemed to be concentrated and my tongue distinguished her primary tastes… _salty, sweet, sour, bitter…_ each one attributing the perfect amount to form her exceptional flavor. I wished, as nothing, to reach her further, but as much as I wanted, I could not lengthen my tongue any longer. Feeling a little frustrated by that fact, I began a relentless and fierce thrusting, sure that the smoothness of the muscle could never hurt her, no matter how much force I invested in the plunging move. She soon seemed to be crying with pleasure, mumbling incoherent sounds, undoubtedly rejoicing in the attentions of my tongue, which stirred her insides with every push. I slid my right arm under her left thigh and circled her leg, placing my right hand on her abdomen, to approach little by little to her core and reach her clit with my thumb, while I continued to fuck her with my tongue on and on.

" _Alex…_!" She hissed my name when the pad of my thumb commenced to stroke her sensitive bud

The muscles of her entrance clenched violently, almost trapping my tongue within her, making it harder for me to push it into her. She was so close to come; I could have delayed her release, but the desire to see her coming won me over every time, so I increased the pressure of my thumb on her clitoris mercilessly, until making her shudder. Near to the climax, I felt one of her hands again on my head, which made me froze alarmed, stopping the thrust of my tongue and the stroke of my thumb. Swiftly, I took her hand firmly by her wrist and pinned it against the mattress, by her hip, while my lips took over the duty of stirring her bud until making her collapse, which did not take long. A simple flicking motion of my tongue on it was enough to break her. She issued the messiest sounds; I could not tell if she was moaning, groaning or whimpering…it was a melodious fusion of all of them, loaded with great satisfaction.

I stayed under the sheets for a considerable time, collecting all her juices with my mouth and worshiping her sensitive area with small kisses and strokes of my tongue, until her body stopped quivering and her breathing became steadier. Once past the algidity of the moment, I released the wrist of the hand I kept pinned against the mattress, and immediately she searched for me, to bury her fingers in my hair and caress me tenderly as I continued adoring her intimacy. I felt a slight blaze inside me that flared my eyes for a moment, one millionth of the usual pain she caused in me…maybe her hands were still giving off the remains of whatever it was that she had within her, because I was not yet able to confirm that it was white magic. I felt more cheerful than ever, when I could fully enjoy her without my senses being entirely decimated. I began ascending across her body, planting playful kisses alternated with small nibbles and naughty bites, making her giggle and shriek with the uneasiness caused by tickling…

"Stop it!..." She yelled, while I teased her getting closer to her ribs "Stop!" She cried desperately while laughing uncontrollably, holding my head with both hands to push me away from her most ticklish areas. I saw the flashing lights before my eyes again, and an insignificant painful stir that ran through my body within a second. I stopped teasing her just in case, and ended up climbing her body up to meet her lips, that welcomed me avidly " _Mhmmm_ …" She murmured into my mouth, drawing me impossibly closer to her, with her arms greedily clinging to my neck…

"I hope it was worth the wait…" I said after the kiss, referring to having left her desires frustrated the previous night…

"Oh yes…" She breathed "Definitely…" Her smile left me rapt

"You want breakfast?" I offered her, already familiarized with her voracious appetite in the morning, especially after the elaborated orgasm she had just experienced…Her eyes widened at the mention of food; I did not even wait for her answer "I'll go to the kitchen to bring you a giant plate full of food…" I chuckled, and she happily agreed…

"Yesssss!" She exclaimed overly excited

"You know…it offends me that you show such thrill for a plate of food" I told her slightly affronted "I would like you to do the same while I fuck you…" I smiled mischievously at her manifest blushed face. I kissed her quickly, and got up to dress hurriedly and go to the kitchen.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. After breakfast, we talked with Nicky about that night, and although she told us that Lorna was still resting at those hours, she assured us that she would love the idea. Piper, enthusiastically, went to work immediately to plan the evening, taking care of the smallest detail. She talked with Red to set the menu, and she even invited her to share the table with us, although she refused, alleging that she had to be in charge of the kitchen…After that, she dragged me around the castle looking for a room that was to her liking for the special dinner. They all seemed very somber for her…

"If you are looking for a colorful room, you are looking in the wrong place" I said with boredom after having seen so many rooms…

"What about the library?" She proposed defeated

"The library?" I asked laughing "It's not a very cheerful place…"

"I like it…it's… _cozy_ " I gave her a look of disbelief "At least there are things on the walls…" She retorted defensively "We would just need a table and some chandeliers to light the soiree…" The _soiree…she is so over refined_ , I thought with fondness as her eyes opened with realization "Ohhh…I saw a beautiful table in one of the rooms that would be perfect…we should go for it…"

Without giving me time to utter a single word, she grabbed my arm and continued dragging me through the corridors. We barely took a moment to rest at lunchtime, and as soon as we finished lunch, she forced me to help her with the decoration of the library, to make it more _welcoming_. I made a great effort to show interest in each one of her ideas…I did not know why, but it seemed like a big deal to her. I thought maybe it was because she was used to social events, surely frequent in the world in which she used to live, and that she missed those. That's why, even if the decoration of the library was a subject completely tedious for me, I helped her without complaints with everything she asked me. We only stopped when she was finally satisfied with her work. I had to admire her dedication; she had left me astonished because the library seemed like a completely new place, with fancy candelabras that illuminated the entire room, the polished wooden table and the red velvet chairs around it. It was already late; with a voice of command she announced that it was time for us to get ready. She did not even let me play with her a little in the bathtub…

"Don't even think about it…" She admonished me with serious tone when I searched to grab her body under the water; I gave up quickly to the quest

"Just relax!" I told her once we were dressing in our room "Everything is going to be great...I don't know why you are so nervous about it…"

"Because!" She retorted and walked towards me and saw me with vast affection "Do not take it the wrong way, alright?" I waited to hear her reasons "I know how hard it can be to get used to this place…" She lowered her eyes with repentant, regretting her words but delivering them anyway "If it had not been for you I think I would have…hated it…"

"I see…" I said softly caressing a loose golden strand that escaped from her intricate braids that adorned the sides of her head "Don't worry…I used to hate this place before you came into my life…" I told her with lightheartedness, making her smile sweetly and looking up at me again

"I just want her to feel welcomed and to be as happy as I am now…" Sometimes I felt like an idiot for not being able to understand her inner motives. I had been thinking all day that she was excited before the prospect of having a special evening, believing that she missed the dinners and parties of her life as a princess, when in fact, all she had been trying to do was to make something special for the newcomer. It bothered me to be so obtuse sometimes to the point of not realizing how depth her soul was…

"We will make her feel at home…" I promised her. That I owed her, since I had failed her when she was new in that place. She got on her tiptoes to capture my lips with keenness…

"Thank you" She said happily and continued dressing…

We waited in the library. There were still a few minutes left, but she wanted to be there in case they arrived before the stipulated time. She forgot how unpunctual Nicky could be…

"I tell you…we had plenty of time for a bit of fun in bed" I teased her, trying to calm her nerves; all I got was a stern glance…I took a mental note for the future… _Don't tease her when she is anxious…_

As expected, Red arrived with the service staff before the guests. They arranged the table and placed the trays with food on it. Just when Red started complaining because her delicious food was going to cool, Nicky arrived with Lorna. The meeting was somewhat awkward, while Red and the service girls retired to give us privacy, but as soon as we were left alone, Nicky, so talkative, was the one responsible to break the ice…

"I know I know…we are late…it's my fault" She apologized before I had time to reproach her "Alex…Piper…" She started saying walking towards us with Lorna shyly by her side… "This is Lorna…" She went straight to the point. I think I've never seen Nicky so nervous…I was the first to speak…

"Hi Lorna…it is really nice meeting you, after hearing so much about you" I said in the gentlest voice I could utter; despite that, the girl seemed to tremble at my presence. She kept her face low, not daring to look at me

"Lady Vause…" She delivered softly and bowed solemnly

"Oh no…please…call me Alex…" I corrected her formal manners "You are part of the family now" Then, little by little, she dared to raise her sight and I could see her hesitant eyes. It was inevitable to see a person in the eye and not to search into their souls. Surely, Nicky would not be happy if she knew that I was looking for flaws in her beloved. Nevertheless, I could not help it; but I liked what I saw…she had a simple and light soul, so I was relieved to know that Nicky had at least chosen a genuine nice person…

"Thank you…Alex" She said sweetly and then Nicky directed her attention towards Piper

"And remember Piper? You saw her once at the market" If the girl was still nervous, her anxiety seemed to dissipate as soon as Piper gave her the warmest welcoming with her broad and reassuring smile

"Yes I remember you…" Lorna addressed Piper with a shy beam, but I could tell she had calmed down a little bit

"Hi Lorna…" She extended her hand in a friendly gesture, which the girl did not hesitate to shake "How nice to finally meet you… _properly_ …"

"Likewise…" Lorna retorted and then, like in a hurry, she continued talking to both of us "I'm so thankful for all this and what you did yesterday…I don't know how I will pay for your hospitality and for having risked you lives helping me escape…"

"Forget about that…" I interrupted her "You mean a lot to Nicky…and therefore, you mean a lot to us…"

"Thank you Alex…" It was Nicky then who spoke to thank me for my words…

"Why don't we sit at the table and talk more comfortably over dinner?" Piper proposed cheerfully, and so we did.

The conversation began flowing little by little, animated by the abundant presence of wine on the table and Piper's ability to ask the right questions to meet our guest. Immediately, the good spark between Piper and Lorna became evident, when they started talking about common interests like gardening, decoration, dresses and other topics that were of no interest for me…

"I love your dress…and the color" Lorna complimented Piper's attire

"Oh…I bought it yesterday in the market…" She informed Lorna

"Mrs. Frieda's shop?" Lorna wondered with curiosity

"Yeah…that's the one"

"She is a little scary, but I always end up shopping at her store…she has beautiful dresses…" They seemed to have forgotten about us; Nicky and I remained silent watching the exchange entertainingly

"You know…I brought a lot of dresses with me…you can take some for yourself…" Piper offered kindly to Lorna

"Oh no! I cannot accept that"

"Of course you can…and you will…" Piper retorted resolute and they continued talking about fabrics and colors while Nicky and I exchanged funny looks without being able to understand the passion they seemed to have for dresses…

In the end, I did not take part in the main conversations as I was not a chatty being by nature; unlike the rest of the presents. I just observed with a light mood their interactions. Nicky only had remained silent when the topic was about dresses, but the rest of the evening she kept talking loudly and making inappropriate jokes. Piper seemed to have an innate ability to talk about anything, and fill the scarce silences with perfectly chosen themes that suited the occasion, and Lorna gradually left shyness behind to discover herself as a very loquacious person. I had to admit it had been a pretty fun night, even though, in the end, I came to wish it would end soon, while I observed Piper clearly affected by alcohol…she laughed cheerfully and uninhibited while I took care that her glass was constantly full. Of course, when I thought that she had drunk enough, I cut the supply; it would not do me any good to leave her comatose…

"Well…I think it's time to go to rest…" For the first time in her life, Nicky said something helpful at the right time "I think we have drunk too much wine…" She chimed in, but I knew she said it more for Lorna than for herself…like Piper, Lorna seemed to be quite affected by alcohol

"I must agree…" I said with a gesture that ended the evening "It's quite late already" Piper and Lorna seemed quite disappointed, but they accepted with grace the end of the evening

"Thank you for such a lovely evening; I've had a great time…" Lorna said

"We are glad that you enjoyed and felt welcomed and comfortable with us…" Piper said with politeness; I noticed a slight sway of her body as she stood up and I went immediately to stand beside her and hold her by the arm

"We will have to repeat this exquisite evening very soon…" I said courteously and endured stoically those last minutes, while the typical goodbye phrases were exchanged, until finally, we were left alone.

"Isn't she _mamazing_?" It was the first thing Piper said when she turned around and walked towards me witha face of pure happiness… "She is so perfect for Nicky!"

"Yeah…she is _mamazing_ " I repeated smiling with delight at her inebriated state, while circling her waist with my hands

" _Mamazing_ …" She said again and laughed foolishly realizing her mistake

"You are _sooo_ drunk right now…" I told her humorously

"What? I'm not!" Her laughter was interrupted by an offended gesture

"How many glasses of wine have you drunk?" I asked her, although surely she did not know

"Ammm… _threefffour?_ " She squinted as if trying to remember…

" _Six…_ " But I knew, since I was keeping the record…

"How do you know?" She looked at me with distrust

"Because…while you were talking…I was the one keeping your glass full…"

"Ohhhh…" She exhaled with comprehension "You did it on purpose!" She accused me pressing the palm of her hands against my chest to give me a light push of reprimand

"Maybe…" I admitted wickedly, pulling her to me by her wrist with more force "I've hatched a plan to get rid of your _prudishness_ once and for all" I said with scheming voice

"I'm…" She was already lost at words "…truly… _intrigued_ …" She kept her dozy eyes fixed on my lips and inadvertently she began to trace her lower lip with her tongue; I had already caught her interest…I left her with her moistened lips, not attending the not so subtle call of her mouth for me to kiss her. I let go of her waist and started walking towards our room leaving her dazed behind me

"Come on…we don't have all night…" I said before crossing the door, taking her out of the dazzle. She followed me almost immediately. I waited for her sitting on the edge of the bed, in a nonchalant manner. She entered the room cautiously; I noticed certain trepidation in her steps and I smiled at her infinitely. How was it that despite everything we had done, everything I had taught her, and above all…despite the abundant amount of alcohol she had in her body…she managed to be still so fascinatingly coy? It was the quality that I most adored in her "At this point you should know that I don't bite…" I joked, making her quicken her pace as she walked towards me; I opened my legs, to bring her closer to me, perching my hands on her hips, as she rested her arms on my shoulders. I looked up to see her "Did you have fun tonight?" I asked her tenderly

"Yes…very much…" She said with a soft smile

"That makes me so happy…" I think that what I had liked the most about that night was her enjoyment. From above, she leaned towards me, to capture my lips gently, for a second as vast as the extension of the ocean "You know…I really like your dress but…I find it quite inconvenient for what I have in mind…" My voice came out in a deep growl, raw with desire " _Take it off_ …" I ordered her firmly, withdrawing my hands from her hips to lean back a little, supporting myself on my hands, getting comfortable to enjoy the show.

Her shyness was an important part of her, as much as her daring when it came to fulfilling my orders. With timid but unyielding movements, she began to undo the ties that bound her dress on the front before my avid gaze that did not lose trace of every inch of exposed skin. She stripped off the upper part, only covered by the corset, but she continued stripping of the dress, crouching before me to take off the skirt that was attached to the top…and finished taking off her shoes as well

"Very good…" I approved as she stood in her underwear "Now the corset…" It seemed like I had to remind her to take _all_ her clothes off…

The dexterity of her fingers was wonderful. I watched in amazement how fast and easily she undid the maze of laces, a task that seemed extremely complicated and frustrating to me...I felt her eyes fixed on my face, but I had my attention on other parts of her body, waiting for her to unveil her chest as a present for me. I was browbeaten when her torso was freed from the rigid frame of that stupid piece of clothing. Her faultless and stiff nipples stood proudly on top of her small mounds, and caught my eyes' attention unavoidably…I straightened my body, bringing my hands to the front to hooked them underneath the waistband of her breaches, to pull her even closer and plant a wet kiss in the center of her chest…

"Something curious happens to me every time I see you naked…" I began saying against her skin, after which I withdrew a little away from her to look up. She was observing me from above with eyes distilling pure lust. Her heart pounded indomitably and her breathing was deep and measured "Every time it feels like it's a first…as if…" I lowered my sight again and began sliding my nose slowly across her chest… "As if my mind was unable to get used to such magnificent sight" I whispered causing goosebumps on her skin.

Then, I started kissing her stomach delicately, while my fingers, still clasped underneath the edge of her breeches, started to pull them down, until leaving her sex uncovered to the cold of my presence. Her hands sought the comfort of my hair; it was something almost instinctive, as if her fingers belonged more to my hair than to her own hands. When her breeches got wedged just under her buttocks, I made her turn around to ambition her stunning rear…

"Take them off…" I did not need to be clearer…the only thing she could remove from her body were her undergarments.

Her hands slid under the rolled down fabric and began to pull them off down her legs. I smiled deviously when she bent down to finish removing the garment, leaving her ass in a vulnerable position. She still had not straightened, when my hands were already taking hold of the fleshy cheeks right in front of me, to give her a good squeeze that made her catch her breath and stand up like an arrow…but she did not turn around, allowing me to seize her ass at my whim…

"Tonight…I'm planning to have you _wholly_ " I told her casually, without letting go of her flesh, and running the curve of her lower back with my lips and tongue

"I thought…I was already…entirely yours…" She said short of breath; her ingenuousness made me laugh…

"And so it is…you are entirely mine, however…" My right hand released her right cheek, and my fingers traced ever so lightly the middle line of her round contour "There are parts of you that continue uncharted by me…" I ended up saying sliding the index and middle fingers prominently to reach her wetness from behind, which made her arch her back and moan noisily in the air. Her hands sought to reach me behind her...her right hand took a good grip on my hair and her other one managed to caught my left wrist. Her moans intensified when I cupped her heated and damp cunt, leaving the palm of my hand instantly soaked. I had to hold back a guttural growl before the so pleasant sensation to feel her so ready. I kept my right hand attached to her intimacy and circled her waist with my free arm to drag her closer, so close, that I felt the skin of my face melting on her burning back…

"Alex…" She gasped my name, drowned in need

"Let's get into bed…" I said, releasing the grip I had on her body, and I went to sit against the wooden headboard, without even bothering to take off my clothes.

She, a little clumsy due to alcohol and maybe also because of the effect I had on her, turned around and began to crawl into bed, shortening the distance between us at a leisurely pace…without needing to tell her, she straddled me with poise and took my face firmly in her hands to grant me a ravishing kiss; my lips did not hesitate for a second to reciprocate the devoted gesture, but soon I had to stop her eagerness, ending the kiss abruptly, reminding her who was in charge that night…

"Uh uh…" I denied her lips when they came to mine to resume the kiss "You will not do anything tonight…" I slid my hands down her back until they shaped her rear end.

I had been waiting for days for the right moment to introduce her to new practices, assessing very subtly her receptiveness to be touched in that area, occasionally sliding a finger beyond the usual limits to study her reactions, so when the time came, the touch would not feel so foreign to her. Although then, she seemed to grow anxious when my middle finger came scrupulously near her opening, releasing a choked gasp as soon as my finger pad was pressed right on the spot. Her wetness was so plentiful that even that area was coated with it. I began stroking the rim, making small circles, watching carefully her perplexed face…

"Do you like it?" I asked her straightforwardly, sensing some reticence on her part

"I…I don't know" Her answer made me smile, but I continued the circling motion

"You don't know?" I said with wonder "I think it's a very simple thing to know…" As I spoke, the pressure of my finger became more pronounced and the movement more calculated "You may like it or not like it" She had closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose, with her nostrils dilated and her jaw clenched, as if she were trying to decipher whether she liked it or not "You can ask me to stop if you don't like it…it's that simple" I continued speaking with hoarse voice, increasing the intrepidness of my touch while she began gasping for air. Then, she did not have to say it; I already knew the answer "I will take your silence as a yes…" I told her without hiding the amusement in my voice. She seemed to surrender to the touch and clung to my shoulders wrapping them with her arms, letting herself collapse over me as she whimpered and gasped unceasingly. I talked to her with voice of comfort "If it's too much for you, you just have to say it and I'll stop immediately…understood?"

"Yes…" She panted against my ear burying her face in my hair…I kept stroking the safeguarded spot, creeping from time to time along her slit, looking to moisten my fingers to make the feeling more pleasant.

"You'll see…there are other parts of our bodies from which we can get a lot of pleasure" I began lecturing her with calmed voice. Little by little she pulled her face away from my hair to face me, pressing her forehead against mine "Although in the strict sense they are not designed for that purpose…" I said playfully with a low chuckle making her knit her eyebrows together "All we need is to have an open mind and not be afraid to experience new sensations, and I…" I made a long pause and took a deep breath as if I was about to make a great confession "I want to experience _everything_ with you Piper…" My touch behind her became more inexorable _;_ she moaned inevitably with pleasure "Would you let me do it?" My voice grew deeper and she nodded entranced with heavy eyelids agreeing utterly to anything I said, "It is very important that you tell me immediately if you don't like it or…" I trailed off somehow hesitant "If it _hurts_ …" Then she opened her eyes a little cagey with my last words

"Is going to hurt?" She asked guardedly in a soft puff of air

"No…!" I denied instantly, stopping the probing of my fingers on her rear "I'm telling you just in case…if you feel some discomfort, no matter how slight, you have to tell me…" I needed to make that clarification, although for a first time I was not thinking of trying anything too wild, I was just intending to study her responsiveness by dabbling in the region a little…

"Alright…" She said, but doubt was evident on her face "But…could you enlighten me a little about what is it that you intend to do…?" She narrowed her eyes with suspicion. I had to hold a smile while thinking about how I could explain what I wanted to do to her since telling her… _I want to fuck you in the ass…_ would not have been a nice way to say it, but on the other hand, there was no easier way to explain it…

"I think it's definitely better to feel it than to hear it…" I finally said trying to keep a serious gesture. Her eyes still cast some doubts, nevertheless, her curiosity was always greater that her reservations. For that reason, my left hand ventured again into her valley from behind, as I registered carefully every change of her gestures…I dipped my fingers in her dampness, to enter her more easily, and I returned to focus on the little hole that I was going to claim as mine that night, coating its edges with her slimy essence. I felt the unblemished opening puckering with nervousness when the tip of my middle finger made, ever so slightly, the first attempt to enter her. She caught her breath abruptly "Don't be so stressed, you need to loosen up a little…" I told her soothingly, thinking another approach…

My right hand remained tightly perched on her hip, so I decided to stimulate her core with it; maybe the familiarity of the touch would help her lighten up, making the prospection of her bottom more bearable. Her response to the touch of my hand on her pussy was instantaneous…A sob of relief escaped from her mouth imbruing my face with her warm breath soured by the wine. Instantly, her little opening relaxed under the unyielding pressure of my middle finger on it, and so, I ended up with the last vestige of her chastity. She threw her head back, in an involuntary response of her body to the intrusion, gasping for air. For a few minutes, I did not do anything but to kiss the scraps of skin that were within the reach of my lips, adoringly and without hurry, giving her time to adjust to the novelty. I had entered her barely a little more than an inch, but I knew that the feeling could be somewhat odd, no matter how small.

I peppered her chest, moistening the burning skin with my mouth seeking to appease her sultriness; she was burning, not only because of our encounter charged with craze, but her body seemed to exude the excess of alcohol that intoxicated her system. As her muscles relaxed, she recovered her senses and took my face firmly astonishing me with her feral gaze, clearly ignited with longing. I cupped her front and rubbed her throbbing clit with the heal of my palm nonce my fingers snooped into her entrance agonizingly slow, allowing me for a moment to put aside my other quest. Her body began to react to the familiar intrusion and her hips started to sway in an imperceptible swing…I took advantage of her own momentum to pry deeper into her other opening. She opened her mouth as if in surprise and closed her eyes in deep concentration; from her throat came a hissing sound caused by her sharp breathing. I admired her with indescribable fondness…

"See…it was not painful at all, right?" I said feeling proud of her "I knew you would like it…" I continued talking swollen with delight for each of her responses, as my hands continued completely devoted to skillfully stimulate her erogenous zones, causing her to wheeze loudly with every thrust of my hand fused to her pubis "Now you are entirely mine…" I said, accentuating the stirring moves of the finger I kept in her other opening, although I could not tell if she was paying attention to my words; she seemed truly immersed in the fulfillment of her needs "Say it…tell me you are mine" Her gestures contorted in an expression of pain, but it did not worry me…I knew it was not really a sign of hurt but of tremendous pleasure

"I'm…I'm…yours…" She mumbled gasping for air. Her juices began to drip between my fingers and the muscles of both entries began to constrict spasmodically. I slowed down a bit, as soon as I perceived the familiar blaze of light that would end up leaving me fully crushed…"No… _please_ …" She whimpered when I denied her relief by decreasing my drive, and collided her lips hastily against mine, burying her fingers in both sides of my head "Please…" She begged hotly into my mouth " _Faster…"_ And how could I deny her _that_ if she asked me so feverishly? I took a deep breath, as much as her keen lips allowed me, and braced myself for what was to come, accepting inevitably the touch of her hands since I had no way to avoid them with both of mine engaged in pleasuring her… _Fuck…_ I swore mentally clenching my jaws waiting for the blow, and decided, stoically, to finish what I had started. With the pad of my fingers, I stroked harder the tender smoothness inside her, pressing the palm of my hand against her bony mound, conceding her clit some respite. The middle finger of my left hand continued stubbornly rousing her other opening, as I pushed it in and out repeatedly, making her gasp for air every time it went in, stretching her lightly on and on…

She cried wonderfully arousing my ears; her body became heavy and she fell forward to hang her head over my left shoulder…I sensed her hands disentangling themselves from my hair, while her body shuddered with violent tremors. I heard the muffled screams, stuck in the back of her throat; she was coming…and a great deal. Her moisture began to flood out of her innermost profusely, surely splattering my leather pants without remedy. I enjoyed her like never before, and the best part is that I was not in pain. She had brought her hands to grab the headboard of the bed, where I rested my back, and I could not be more grateful for that. I kept my fingers rousing her insides softly, drawing as much as I could from her as I kissed the curve of her shoulder, the most reachable portion of skin, and waited for her tremors to come to an end, though they seemed to last for hours. When I sensed her breathing relatively stable, I removed my finger from her rear opening, making her hiss maybe with some slight soreness, and immediately withdrew my other fingers still submerged in her warm humidity. With my hands free, I wrapped my arms around her waist in a tender hug and began tracing soothingly patterns with my finger tips, waiting for her to react. Her body seemed irresponsive; she had not moved an inch…

"Hey…" I whispered softly after a while, caressing the back of her head that was resting on my shoulder… "Are you alright?" I could not see her face, but I felt her nodding against my shoulder "Could you…say something?" I asked tentatively

"Wow…" She breathed out making me chuckle

" _Wow_ uh?...Was it so good?"

"So good" She murmured, and I knew, without seeing her, that she would have a big smile plastered on her face…

"You want another round?" I retorted with mischief, taking her body firmly to flip us around. In the blink of an eye, I pushed her body forwards and I pounced on her, so that her head was then at the bottom of the bed and I imprisoned her against the mattress with the weight of my body…the brusque change of our position made her laugh without air…

"I don't…" She began saying short of breath "I don't think…I could handle it…" She said looking at me with her sparkling azure eyes… "I'm feeling… _dopey_ …" She finished saying narrowing her eyes in a witty gesture

"Dopey?..." I retorted with a big smile "Is it because of alcohol or because of my incredible skills in bed?" I said brushing her lips with mine

"Definitely, the second option…although" She answered groggily; it was exceptionally engaging watching her like that "I must admit that I have drunk more than I'm used to…"

"Yeah…I kind of noticed…" I pointed out extremely amused "I only hope that alcohol won't make you forget about what we have just done…and that tomorrow you will be able to remember everything in great detail…" I said impishly, getting closer to her face

"You would have to…tear my head out as to not remember it…" She caught my lips lovingly and her lazy hands began wandering down my back…

"You better…" I breathed out against her lips "I've put a lot of effort to make it memorable…" It was impossible to kiss her slowly; her delicate mouth always ignited my most primal craving. I propelled the drive of our mouths, until I left her out of breath too soon. Maybe she was right, and she would not be able to cope with another round…on the other hand I had never felt better and I wanted to make the most of that night. I broke the kiss and got on my knees to take of my shirt…

"What are you doing?" She said perplexed, propping herself up clumsily by her elbows as she observed me taking my clothes off…

"Maybe you are not ready for another round…" I explained as I threw the long-sleeved shirt off "But that does not mean…" I got up on the bed to take off my pants, and immediately went back to her, to straddle her by her hips "…that I'm not ready for you…" I ended by giving her a wicked smile. She grabbed me with desire by my waist, while her eyes roamed my naked torso with careful consciousness…

"I will…try to give my best" She said with resolve and I saw the clear determination in her face, despite her dozy condition. I smiled fondly at her since it was evident that alcohol was beginning to affect her a lot, but as long as she remained conscious, I could not ignore my needs…

"Actually, you will not have to move a single finger for what I have in mind…" I began saying while I moved slowly up her torso with my knees to both sides of her body, so then I was straddling her by her waist "I just need your mouth…and I'll do the rest…" I explained with impishness, climbing up her body until feeling her burning lips on my core...


	45. Chapter 45

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Three weeks guys...I'm so sorry for the huge delay, I already explained some of my reasons in the comments...I just want you to know that if I'm getting late with an update, it is only because I'm working really hard on this story and in no way means that I'm going to give it up, I have already said ii, I have every intention of finishing the story, period! Next time it takes me so long, at least I promise to let you know, so you won't get worried about the delay, but how much I hate to talk to you without giving you a new chapter XD that's why I simply don't say anything. Important things are going to happen soon, and I'm working on how the hell I'm going to do to introduce the new plots that I have in mind, so we will have a couple of happy chapters that will serve as a link to the upcoming events, I want to do it right and I need you to be patience. I can't wait to share with you the rest of the story, I hope not to disappoint anyone, I'm so nervous just thinking about it XD

YOU ARE SIMPLY AMAZING! And this story it's just for you! Thank you so much! Next chapter will take me less time, I swear! Love ya all! :)

 **CHAPTER XLV (Piper's POV)**

I tried to open my heavy eyelids, but soon I realized that it was going to be a hard task. My head was throbbing painfully and my mouth felt dry and uncomfortable, as if my tongue was covered in sand…I murmured with displeasure at the uneasy feeling of weightiness in my body…

"You are hangover…" I heard the beautiful voice saying very close to my ear, and immediately sensed her cold lips pressed lovingly on my cheek "You had too much wine last night…"

"Alex…" I said her name as if I was dying, causing her to laugh softly

"I'm sorry Pipes…it'll pass very soon I promise…" She said tenderly "You just need to drink a lot of water and eat something…You want breakfast?" The mention of food made me nauseous

"No…" I grumbled miserably. I think it was the first time I rejected an offer like that, but I could not have contained a single bite of food within me…

"At least you should drink some water…" She pressed on trying to turn me around by my shoulders, since I was lying on my stomach. She did so, effortlessly, as if I was a rag doll. The simple movement caused my headache to increase…

"Ouch…" I complained, closing my eyes with all my strength. I felt the world reeling under my body…

"Here…drink some water" She passed her hand under my head to help me prop up a little and pressed the edge of the glass on my lips. She was right; as soon as I took the first gulp, the vital liquid calmed me immediately, so I drank the whole thing with desperation… "Better?" She wondered with light tone and through my squinting eyes I saw the ghost of a smirk on her lips; I was slightly bothered by her cheerful demeanor before my miserable state. After all, she was the one who made me drink all that wine…

"No…I don't feel _better_ …" I said almost spitting the words "This is your fault…" I admonished her with a little resentment, shutting down my eyes again

"My fault?" Despite my reproachful tone, she continued talking happily "Your poor tolerance to alcohol is not my fault…" I could imagine a faultless smirk delineated by her perfect lips

"I'm going to die…" I wanted to throw up the water I had just drunk…

"You are not going to die…" She spoke with tender tone leaving behind the joking one. She combed my hair with her fingers and traced soft patterns on my scalp with her cold pads "I'm sorry, alright? I promise I won't make you drink like this ever again…" I immediately felt guilty for talking to her with such bitterness when blaming her for my condition. Blindly, I looked for her with my right hand, which she took instantly with her free one… "Does this mean that I am forgiven for getting you drunk?" She asked tentatively squeezing my hand playfully. I forced myself to open my eyes, and even the dim light of the cloudy morning made my eyes hurt. She was watching me from above, sitting by my side at the edge of the bed, with a face of repentance…

"Whatever…" I agreed quickly and her puckering lips quickly turned into a triumphant smile. She leaned toward me and planted a chaste kiss on my lips, that eradicated the slight feeling of sullenness I felt towards her at that moment

"If I leave you alone…will you be alright?" She said out of the blue…

"Alone?" I retorted and then I noticed that she was dressed in her usual outfit to patrol the forests… "Where are you going?"

"Is it that you do not remember what we talked about last night?" She asked me caressing my forehead with her thumb, and since I had no idea what she was talking about, I waited for her to explain "I talked to Nicky about going to the edge of the Shadow Lands and sending a messenger to look for Lorna's parents and invite them to talk with me and clarify the situation" Then I remembered the conversation, as if it had happened a long time ago. During dinner, I did not seem to care much about the matter, but then, being sober, it worried me enormously…

"Isn't that too dangerous?" I just had to remember the final threat of Lorna's husband

"Not at all" She assured me "I'll carry some guards who will be in charge of going to the village to find Lorna's parents, and Nicky and I will stay at the border waiting for them…"

"If it's not dangerous…can I come with you?" I asked futilely, knowing what the answer was going to be…

"In your condition?" She asked with mockery, but continued with serenity "No…you better stay here, besides…Nicky told me to ask you if you could stay with Lorna…she's a little nervous about today's meeting" She was right though, I could not ride with my terrible headache, and I could not deny keeping Lorna some company under those circumstances…

"Of course…I'll stay with her…" I agreed "But please…" I sat on the bed to get close to her face, and the throbbing feeling in my head made me wince "Be careful…" I told her grabbing her face in my hands

"You don't have to worry about me…" Of course I didn't have to, but for some reason I always worried about her wellbeing, as if I could not get used to the idea that she was invincible. I kissed her profusely, and despite my meager state, my body began to react fervently to her lips…

"We don't have time for that…" She broke the kiss and laughed cheerfully "I must leave to be back as soon as possible…" My soul hurt to think about spending the day without her

"Fine…" I said as if defeated

"I'll try to be back very soon…and please…eat something!" She advised with serious face "It will do you good for the hangover"

"Maybe I'll go to the kitchen to have breakfast with Lorna…" I pondered out loud

"That's a good idea…now" She gave me a tender kiss full with affection and got up, ready to go "I have to go…" She gave me a sad smile, and I knew it was because she was as reluctant to leave my side as I was to see her leave. Despite it, she turned and walked towards the door, but at the last moment she stopped to see me one more time. Her face was thoughtful, and the shadow of a smile lingered on her lips…I looked at her expectantly "Do you remember anything that happened last night after dinner?" Her question took me aback and her indistinctive amusement in her voice made me feel alert for some unknown reason…

"Ammm…I don't know…" I said after thinking for a while. At that moment I could not think about last night's details; I felt exhausted and my mind was not able to form a single thought…

"What a shame…" She retorted with a flick of her tongue "Well…I guess we can always repeat last night's lessons…" She said enigmatically winking at me in a manner that made my heart to skip a beat, and without more words, she disappeared leaving me extremely confused with her last words.

I did not pay too much attention to it, I fell backwards, burying my head in the big feather pillows and I wished for the unpleasant sensation that took over my body would be gone soon. I closed my eyes and within a second, my mind brought me little scraps of the things we did after dinner. I started to sweat, suddenly heated with the images that flooded my mind, but I could not contain the laughter, understanding what she had wanted to say right before leaving. Then it made sense why certain parts of my body felt so nicely sore and tender; no doubt, last night's lessons had been the most audacious to date, and I could not help thinking about doing all that without a drop of alcohol in my body. I blushed again thinking about her; how could she have that effect on me without even being present? I took a deep breath missing her already, and decided to get up and go to the kitchen, to keep my word and granting Lorna some company. After getting dressed, I walked to the kitchen with uneasiness, but as soon as my nose registered the smell of freshly baked bread, my appetite seemed to return to me…

"Good morning…" Red greeted me with a happy tone

"Hi Red…good morning" My voice was hoarse

"I did not expect to see you in my kitchen…I've been told about last night" She said whilst I walked to the wooden table to take a sit "Too much wine?" She asked with hidden mockery

"Never again…" I bumbled pressing my forehead against the table, making her to chortle animatedly

"Wine can be treacherous…but I've made a special concoction…it will do you good for the headache" I heard a soft thud on the table that made me lift my head to observe what she was offering me…

"What is it?" I took the small wooden bowl and tried to decipher the strange and viscous mixture inside it…

"Don't ask, and drink it all…" I trusted Red's advise, so I titled the bowl and brought it to my lips "You should pinch your nose…it doesn't taste good…" She said before the mixture touched my lips, and I did what she told me. I held the bowl with my right hand while pinching my nostrils with my left, and drank the slimy mix in three large gulps. I wanted to vomit the thing right away

"Oh my heavens…" I complained about the aftertaste that lingered in my mouth "It's disgusting…"

"But effective…" Red said as a matter of fact, defending her methods

"Have you seen Lorna?" I asked her after overcoming the unpleasant taste in my mouth. As if on cue, Lorna appeared through the door walking towards the table where I was sitting. Red and I assessed her evident wasted state, as she released little grunts and kept her eyes squinting…

"I think someone else needs my special brew…" Red chimed in with reproachful tone

"Lorna?" I asked her tentatively as the young woman sat in front of me and almost collapsed against the table "Are you alright?" I reached her with my hand across the table to place it over her head, in a gesture of comfort

"No…I'm not…" She babbled with difficulty "No more wine…"

"I know…I feel just the same…" I laughed softly, feeling empathy for her, since I felt the same way

"Here…" Red offered Lorna the same remedy she had given me a moment ago "Drink this…"

"What is it?" Lorna asked the same questioned I made when observing the unappetizing brew

"It's Red's special concoction for the hangover…" I was the one who explained, encouraging her to drink it "But definitely, you should cover your nose…it doesn't taste very well" I told her honestly

"I'm not very encouraged by that…" Lorna said narrowing her eyes comically and wrinkling her nose when smelling the bowl's content "Here I go…" She said as if cheering herself and gulped the thing faster than me "Darn it…!" It's all she said after drinking the brew "That's the most horrible thing I've ever drunk in my life…"

"Stop complaining…and next time just do not drink so much alcohol…" Red scolded us, and I took her words very seriously; I would never drink more than two glasses of wine…

Red cares did not end with the concoction. She prepared us a breakfast worthy of warriors, and we ate together, remembering amid laughter anecdotes from the previous night. But under her apparent calm, I could notice certain apprehension. She surely was worried about the events of the day; Nicky and Alex had gone for her parents, and who knows what would happen…

"Are you alright?" I asked her tenderly after breakfast was over

"Yes…I'm great…" She smiled amply, but her voice broke a little at the end

"Lorna…" I called her name gently "You don't have to worry about anything…" I assured her looking into her eyes, breaking her composed façade…

"Christopher…" She began saying in a whisper "I fear for my parents…he is dangerous"

"Alex will never allow anything to happen to your parents…I swear…" I knew that if anything bad happened, Alex would intercede immediately. I trusted her blindly, enough to know that everything was going to be fine…

"I hope you are right, and I appreciate your words…" She gave me a discouraged smile "But I won't be able to calm down until they are back…"

"If that's it…let me help you keep your mind busy in other things…Have you already seen the castle?" I asked with a cheerful smile

"No…I haven't…" She returned the gesture, clearly open to my proposal

"Then let's move on!" I stood up animatedly, trying to enthuse her "There are so many places to see…" I took her by the arm and pulled her to her feet and we began to walk.

We started the tour going to the backyard of the kitchen, where my yellow roses continued to grow under my cares. She was impressed by their development, taking into account the unfavorable weather that prevailed in the place. She obviously liked talking about gardening; she was an expert in the subject, so I took the chance to keep her distracted and proposed her to plant roses in the main garden of the castle someday, at the foot of the front façade…We walked around the castle to reach the main entrance to show her the overwhelming exteriors and the tall and imposing buildings that rose in all directions. To our right, I signaled to the stables, and a little further, the modest structures that were the pigsties. For a moment, I stopped and looked at the wooden huts, thinking inevitably of Sylvie. In the distance, I could discern the figure of a corpulent and plump man, who undoubtedly was Luschek, but I saw no sign of the woman. My heart beat rapidly and inexplicably; a chill ran all over my body like a bad omen. Lorna said something but I was so engrossed in the bad feeling that I did not hear her…

"Piper…?" After saying my name, Lorna got me out of my trance "Is something wrong?"

"Ammm…no…I just…remembered something…not a big deal" I let it go, deciding to forget the subject "Let's keep on" And with that we resumed our walk

The day was cold, and it got darker and darker despite being close to noon. It was going to rain at any time, so we decided to go inside. There would be days to show her the outsides in more detail, or maybe Nicky would want to have the pleasure of showing her the rest of the place. For that reason, the tour inside the castle consisted only in showing her the areas of most use, and finally, we went to the library and my room; I had in mind to give her some of my dresses…honestly, I did not need so many.

"So…you share the same room…" Lorna said nonchalantly as I took some clothes out of the closet. I did not know if it was a question or rather a tentative statement…

"Ammm…" I looked at her behind my back. She was sitting on a chair, several feet from me "Yes…" I affirmed without understanding her conflicted gesture

"How does it…work?" She wondered looking at the floor. I turned around to face her wholly

"How does _it_ work?" I echoed her question…

"You are… _together_ …right?" She timidly raised her gaze to ask me

"Yes…we are" And I responded cautiously

"Like…a couple?" I did not know where she wanted to go with those questions; I narrowed my eyes thinking that maybe she was being judgmental. She must have seen something in my face, since she immediately tried to explain herself better "Don't get me wrong…I'm just…curious…" In her voice it was clear that the last thing she wanted was to judge me "I've never been…with…you know…a woman" That was new to me; as far as I knew, Nicky and Lorna loved each other. I would have never imagined that Lorna needed help on _that_ subject. Their common interest in each other, from my point of view, had already been more than established in the past, even before I got to the Shadow Lands; they already had a story when I first met Lorna, so I could only assumed that something had already happened between them…

"But you and Nicky…"

"Nothing has happened between us…" She quickly blurted out a little defensive

"But…you love her" I declared, although the twinge on her face made me doubt my own words "Right?"

"I…" Her eyes were filled with tears in an instant "I don't know…" She finally admitted and tears spilled out of her eyes abundantly within a second

"What?" I was aghast; my hands turned numb, dropping the dress I was holding between them…

"I don't know how I feel about her…I don't know if it's love…" I did not want to imagine Nicky's reaction to knowing that, and my soul hurt for her

"You told her yourself…that you loved her…you lied to her" Alex and I had already heard enough stories to be sure that Nicky's love was reciprocated…

"Please, let me explain…" The young woman began sobbing uncontrollably "I do…I do love her but…as a friend…as a person who helped me at a very difficult time…"

"She loves you Lorna…and not precisely like a friend…" I retorted slightly annoyed, thinking that probably she had taken advantage of Nicky, to be rescued…

"I don't want to hurt her…I don't want to break her heart" Despite the clear sadness in her face and the tears spilling from her eyes, my anger was not appeased

"But you will…" I spitted annoyed

"She does not have to know about it…" Lorna said clearly conflicted

"And what are you going to do? Lie to her?" How was she even suggesting not telling her the truth? It bothered me even more; we stayed quiet for a while, the only thing that was heard was her sniffing sounds "And I thought that you could finally be happy together…" I said with tiredness and disappointment after the prolonged silence…

"I never wanted this to happen" Lorna began saying and continued talking with a soft voice, with her eyes fixed on her lap "I met her in the market…and she was always so fun and tender with me…I guess I got carried away and enjoyed the moment…since I never thought we would actually have the chance to be together…" I listened to her reasons, trying hard to be sympathetic "I was engaged…she knew about it…" She said, rising her face to look me in the eyes "We had no future together, so I did not have the courage to deny it when she assumed that I loved her back, I simply let her believe it" Suddenly the nauseating feeling from the morning returned to me "I told her to forget about me…I could not leave my family and break my engagement with Christopher…"

"Do you love him?" I dared to ask her with a hint of disgust; I would never understand if she told me that she loved the man who had mistreated her

"No!" She quickly denied "I never loved him…but I thought maybe I could get to love him over time"

"Then why did you marry him in the first place?"

"Because my family insisted that I needed a man by my side… _You are not getting younger Lorna_ " She said with a rare voice "It's what my mom said to me all the time…" And then, although I was still pissed at her for playing with Nicky's feelings, I understood her situation because of course, I had been in a similar position, with the social pressure of marrying a worthy man to take care of me… _if it had not been for Alex_ …I thought relieved for the extreme turn my life had suffered, _thankfully_ "You cannot tell Nicky anything about this…"

"Lorna…I don't think you can keep this lie for a long time…" I was definitely not going to be the one to tell her the truth, it was not my job to do it, but I was not going to let Lorna lit to her either…

"I married a man without loving him…I can…" As soon as I knew what she was going to say, I interrupted her

"Nicky does not deserve that!" I admonished her harshly "She saved you!" I threw her in the face "She risked her life to save you!"

"I know I know…" She accepted with hurt "And you have no idea how grateful I'm with her…with you…"

"You have to talk to her…you have to explain her how you feel about her…" It was the only option, even if Nicky's heart will suffer in the way "But I won't allow you to make her believe that you love her...you will not make her live into a lie…"

"You are right…I can't do that to her…" At that moment, she began crying again profusely, truly distressed "I really care about her…" I knew she was telling the truth, it was obvious that she regretted everything that had happened. I took a deep breath, feeling sorry for her above my previous anger. I went to kneel in front of her, trying to lock my eyes with hers…

"Hey…I'm sorry" I said with a calmer tone caressing her cheek "I was too harsh on you…" Suddenly I felt contrite for yelling at her…

"You were just defending your friend…"

"I guess…but I want to be your friend too Lorna…" That poor girl did not have anyone; I truly wanted to help her

"For real?" She asked shyly, rising her sight from her lap ever so slightly "Even after knowing what a horrible person I am?"

"You are not a horrible person…" I told her gently, because I knew she had not made all that mess on purpose "You just…made a mistake, but you can fix it and I'll help you do it right…"

"How can I make it right?" She wondered disheartened

"I already told you…you should talk to her; explain her that you do love her but not as she would like to be loved by you" There was no other option "She will understand…and who knows…" I left my words hanging in the air…

"What?" There was a hint of hope in her voice

"Maybe…over time, you may change your mind about her, and you might even give her a chance"

"Do you think that is possible?" She asked with skepticism. I got up and looked for a chair to sit in front of her, to talk to her calmly…

"Look…when I arrived here…I never would have imagined falling in love with Alex…"

"How did you get here in the first place?" She asked intrigued…

"Well…I was paying a debt" I referred to my debt as if it were something of the past…and that's how it was, because I realized that my debt had been paid when she gave me the opportunity to return home "She saved my family and my people…and I gave her my freedom and my services for life in return…" I explained without going into much detail "It was hard to leave my life behind and adapt to this place…she did not make it easy either…" She was paying close attention to my story…

"Why?"

"We did not have a good start…we were so different and yet so equal when it came to stubbornness…" I laughed genuinely, thinking if our initial obstinacy had not been a way of denying the mutual attraction that had been there from the beginning, but neither of us would have dared to acknowledge it "My first impression of her was that she was a proud creature more than accustomed to receiving praise from people…but I was also very proud, so I refused flatly to bow before her. I always stood firm, unwilling to bend no matter how scary and terrifying she was"

"She is very intimidating indeed…" Lorna confessed to me with nervousness "Last night at dinner, I was a little uneasy about her presence…she barely spoke"

"She is not very talkative…" I laughed with affection… "You just need time to figure her out…" Those had been the same words Nicky had told me what it seemed years ago

"I don't think she'll be happy if I break her friend's heart…"

"Don't worry about her…I'll talk to her and she'll understand, trust me…" I gave her a reassuring smile

"How did you fall for her then?" Lorna said after a moment of silence, for me to continue telling her my story…

"Little by little, she let me see everything that was under her cold and frightening surface…" I remembered fondly those days, during my recovery, that were crucial to change my perception of her "She cared for me…she opened herself to me, and before I even knew it, I was already there…in love with her" I couldn't help a silly smile spreading all over my face…

"Look at you…so smitten" Her words only caused my grin to grow wider "That's…a really nice story…" She said at last with a tender beam

"Nicky is a wonderful woman and an incredible person and friend…and she loves you so much Lorna…" After all the help Nicky had given me, especially after all the things she did to encourage my relationship with Alex, it was in my hands to return the favor. I wanted to see her happy, as much as I was thanks to her "All I'm asking is…don't close the door to an opportunity with her…I know she can make you so happy"

"I'll keep that in mind Piper…thank you, for telling me your story and for being my friend…"

"You are welcome…" I returned from my heart

"Can I…ask you…" She began hesitantly, but she stopped herself right away shaking her head "Never mind…"

"What?" I inquired truly curious…

"No…it's…maybe something that I should not ask" I thought I saw a hint of redness on her face, which made me more intrigued

"Lorna…you can ask me anything; is not that what friends do?" I played the card of our newly forged friendship to encourage her

"It's a very personal question…" She made a contrite gesture

"Alright…"

"How is it being…with a woman…you know…in bed?" Of all the possible questions I imagined, I did not think she would ask _that_ one

"Oh!" It´s all I said, a little flabbergasted, and why not, extremely embarrassed

"I told you…" She laughed awkwardly "But, I can't help but thinking about it…before the possibility of a future with Nicky…"

"I see…" I understood where her curiosity came from. I put the shame aside, assuming that I was an adult, simply discussing a certain topic with a friend, like when I used to talk to Polly about her audacious adventures and secret kisses with other boys… "What do you want to know?"

"Is it good?" A specific image flooded my mind as soon as the question was formulated. I could only imagine _her_ , with her whole body rising above me as I watched her from below completely defeated by her monumental pose while she settled on my face to press her soft cold center against my lips…I ducked my chin as I felt the burning sensation beginning to spread all over my neck, and made a poor attempt to discard those thoughts…

"Yeah…" My face burned talking openly about it, but on the other hand, I found it liberating, to have someone with whom to share certain confidences "It's _ammm_ …very good…" I giggled like a silly girl

"That good?" Lorna asked with mischief… "Better than with a man?"

"Well…I could not tell" I told her "I mean…I've never been with anyone else…only with Alex" I felt such joy when acknowledging that fact, to say out loud that I had only been hers, and nobody else's; my heart swelled with pride and boundless love "But honestly, despite it…it is hard for me to conceive that there is something better than that…something better than her"

"You do love her…" She stated, as if realizing a fact

"I do…"

"I wish I had something like that…" Our recent joyous demeanor dissipated with her voice tinted with sadness

"You will" I said with great determination; inside me, a sense of hope began to grow…the hope of seeing her being happy with Nicky "Come on!" I clapped my hands and got up hurriedly "You have not seen the dresses yet…" I reminded her of our main purpose "I have some in mind that would be perfect for you" And so, we returned our attention to the dresses, while we continued talking about anything.

The twilight soon arrived, and with it, I began growing anxious with the prolonged absence of Alex and Nicky… _What if something went wrong?..._ I tried to hide my worries in front of Lorna. We went to the kitchen and waited in there for their arrival. Just when I thought it was time to invoke Alex, she appeared through the kitchen door with Nicky…

"Alex!" I exclaimed overly excited to finally see her, and relieved to see that both were fine. I got up from the table and ran to her to wrap her neck with my arms and clashed my lips on hers, completely oblivious to the people around us. She laughed animatedly before my keenness…

"We have some company…" She said softly when breaking the kiss. Only then I perceived over her shoulder two people at the door's threshold…

"Mom? Dad?" Lorna said and went to meet them hurriedly; I observed the encounter with tenderness, as the three of them embraced each other amidst words of affection "What are you doing here?"

"We needed to see that you were fine…" The mother said, and I felt a twinge of envy…I wished my mother had ever shown such concern for me…

"Lady Vause has been very kind to bring us to see you with our own eyes…" Lorna's dad explained facing Alex, who was standing then by my side

"You are welcome Mr. Morello…" Alex retorted with politeness "Maybe we should give you some time alone, you surely have a lot to talk about…"

"Thank you My Lady…" Lorna's dad finally said and Alex led me out of the kitchen to then appear in our room. She had a firm grip around my waist and swirled me around playfully, placing me softly on my feet after a couple of twirls…

"Hello…" She said pressing her forehead against mine and a big smile plastered on her face

"Hi…" Despite the immense joy I felt to see her, my greeting did not sound very enthusiastic. I suddenly felt heartbroken…

"Hey…" She drew her face away from mine, to observe me better and asked me with worry "What is it?"

"That's…a very nice thing what you've done with Lorna's parents…" I managed to say with a lump in my throat

"Ohhh…I see…You are thinking of your parents…" She understood why my sudden gloom. I hated to admit it, and more after that infamous letter in which my parents asked me to stop writing them since they preferred not to know about me, but in that moment, I would have given anything to see them…

"They are so happy to see her…" My voice faltered in the end since I wished my parents wanted to see me too

"Oh my Pipes…" Alex said with heavy sorrow as she held me tightly in a comforting embrace "I would give anything to give you the chance to see them…"

"But they wouldn't want to…" I barely said against her ear…

"Hey…" She mustered softly as she drew away from me a little to face me with her chin slightly ducked. She nailed her clear green eyes on me through her dense and long eyelashes and continued speaking tenderly "Maybe it will not help at all but…I want you to know that I'm _always_ happy to see you, Piper…" Her words sounded shy, with a hint of vulnerability few times shown by her and my heart melted with thousands of emotions for which I had no name…

"And I could not ask for anything else in my life…" Her recent declaration made me smile fully

"What do you think about…taking a hot long bath, having a nice dinner and then going to bed?" She tentatively proposed, rising a perfect eyebrow

"We could actually skip dinner…" I was not hungry anyway, and I knew that most of the time Alex ate more to share the meals with me than out of necessity

"That is a great idea…" She whispered and nibbled my cheek with her soft lips playfully. I knew she was trying to find a way to cheer me up…

She held me fondly in her arms during the bath, finding a way to cherish my body without even encouraging a _heated_ encounter. She clearly knew that my mood had been affected when talking about my family; it never ceased to amaze me how considerate she was always with me. Maybe she felt that was exactly what I needed right then…to simply feel the comfort of her presence, without enticing us to a sexual encounter; it's not that I would have refused, but at that precise moment, I did not need anything else. I felt beyond loved in each of her lights caresses and in every brush of her lips along my shoulders as her arms remained firmly tied around my torso from behind. That moment felt as intimate as any of the countless frenzied moments shared between us while being naked…

"Tomorrow…we could spend the day together…just you and me…" She spoke with soothing and luring voice, as if I needed to be convinced "We could go to our special place…we have not been there for a long time" I did not need to ask what place she was referring to…

"It sounds promising" I hummed in approval, sinking myself further into her arms and the hot water. At that moment I got to confirm that I did not need anything else in life but her…We went to bed after the bath, and we settled quietly into it; words were not needed. I felt tired, and her fingers playing absentmindedly with my hair made my eyelids feel heavy, but I fought the urge to close my eyes just to spend a little more time with her. I forced myself to talk to stay awake…

"Today I learnt something…" It was the first thing that came to my mouth and I considered for a moment to keep Lorna's secret. Nevertheless, I continued talking with my cheek pressed against the cold skin of her chest "Maybe you will not like it…I know I did not like it" I thought maybe it was not the right time to talk about it, but she was going to find out anyways, so better sooner than later…

"What?" She wondered with concern and waited for me to talk although it took me a moment

"It's about…Lorna…" I was not going to hide that information from Alex, besides, only she could help me solve it "She confessed not being sure of her love for Nicky…" I thought I was going to get a response of shock from her, but all I got after some seconds was a deep sigh…

"I kind of saw it coming" It's all she said with easiness, and I did not understand why she had taken the news so calmly. I propped up by her side with my elbow to assess her with disbelief…

"What?!" I said with a high pitched voice "Is that all you are going to say?" I was expecting at least she would get a little upset, as I had when I found out. I still was holding a grudge against Lorna for it…

"What else can I say?" She wondered with a sad smile from below "I was almost sure of it…I observed her intently during dinner, I could see it" That information discouraged me even more

"What are we going to do?" I asked her desperate to hear an answer. Surely she would have a solution…

"We can't do anything Piper…" She left out a subtle laugh strained with unhappiness and cupped my cheek lovingly to speak infinitely calmed "I'm very sorry for Nicky, but we can't intercede in those matters…"

"But Nicky…she helped us Alex…" I began saying stubbornly

"I know…" She cut out my words before I could continue "She helped us to take off the blindfolds to see what had been in front of our noses, but she did not help us to feel what we felt, because it was already there…" I understood the difference "We can't force Lorna to feel something for Nicky, Pipes…" And I hated as never before that she was right. I pouted, emotionally crushed and I could already feel the tears pooling in my eyes "No…" She said, pinching delicately my lower lip between her thumb and index "Don't be sad about it…" Her eyebrows were furrowed in a grief-stricken expression "There is nothing more daunting that seeing you miserable…"

"I'm not miserable…I just feel for Nicky" I tried to soften the despair in my face and kept my tears at bay

"Don't worry…" She took my face gently between her hands and caressed my skin with her thumbs "If it's meant to be…it will be" She finally said, and those simply words comforted me oddly.

"Do you believe we were meant to be?" That question was so unnecessary, I was sure we were meant to be, but I needed to hear it from her

"Oh Pipes…" She breathed out and smiled with a strange gesture; I would almost dare to say that it was a gesture of sadness "We were _definitely_ meant to be…I don't have the slightest doubt about it…" Despite the softness in her voice, something in the way she said it evoked in me a twinge of pain inside my chest, as if she had just given me terrible news. She curled the cold fingers of her left hand behind my neck, to pull me down her chest again. She held me impossibly close to her and I heard her deep voice echoing in her chest "You could not be a matter of mere chance"

Eventually, I fell asleep, thinking about her last words; I could not tell if they meant something good, or something bad...


	46. Chapter 46

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello wonderful people. I am so grateful to have such amazing readers. For a moment certain rude comment made me question many things, but then all your wonderful words helped to go through the bitter cup XD. Even so, I accepted the criticism included in said comment and I have concluded that maybe the story has lengthened more than necessary, what may have led to the story being slow at times, it's true…I'll keep that in mind for the next stories I'm planning (Yeah, I'm already working on them, that's why lately I've been updating slowly, wink wink!) Also, I must say that after planning the next chapters, I think it is safe to say that the story will end most certainly around chapter 60 (maybe 59 or 61). Many things are coming and the remaining chapters will be loaded with so many emotions. I hope not to disappoint you with the upcoming plots, I'm really excited about it and can't wait to see your reactions ;)

* * *

 **CHAPTER XLVI (Alex's POV)**

It weighted heavily in my chest the feeling that I would never be able to make her fully happy, because no matter what I did, there would always remained within _her_ the emptiness left by her family and the shadow of their abandonment, the pain of the betrayal…and that was something that I could not replace, even though she assured me that I was everything she needed in her life, but that fact only made me more determined to try. I guarded her in her sleep and as always, I left myself be lulled into a peaceful state that only the candidness of her body and the soft cooing of her breathing intermingled with the steady sound of her heart could bring me. I was thankful because that night I did not have the need of leaving her side in order to strengthen myself. When it dawned, I decided not to wake her up; although it would be better to leave early to make a good use of the day, I let her rest a bit more. The soft change in her breathing was the clue I was waiting to start caressing her back with lazy movements…

"Mhmmm…" She murmured sleepily against my chest as soon as the tip of my fingers began wander down her back...

"Good morning sleepyhead" I kissed the crown of her head and nuzzled my way into her hair, letting her essence flood my system…

"Morning…" She barely babbled and did not attempt to change her position. I allowed her to stay like that for a couple of minutes, but I had to speak out loud just as her breathing began to falter into a constant and soft whisper previous falling asleep again…

"We can't stay long in bed" I let her know shaking my body under her, luring her out of unconsciousness

"Just a little longer…" She complained clinging to my torso with greediness "This feels so good…" She reinforced her words giving me a strong squeeze that elicited in me a raspy chuckle

"Yes…it feels really good…" I couldn't argue that "But we have plans…remember?"

"How could I forget?" She retorted and I could feel her cheeks tensing in a smile

"Well…just yesterday you seemed to forget many things from the previous night…" I said mordantly but with a hint of playfulness. It surprised me how quickly her cheeks burned against my skin…

"I…I actually did not forget about _that_ …" She whispered with heaviness, keeping her face out of my sight by pressing it harder against my chest…

"Then you _do_ remember, uh?" I asked her impishly without holding my laughter. She sighed deeply and propped herself up to face me from above; her face was still colored red, but she was grinning broadly

"How could I forget?" She repeated the previous question clearly amused and leaned down to crash her lips generously on mine… "Bring me breakfast…" She demanded "It's the least you can do after making fun of me…"

"Yes ma'am" I agreed immediately, as I would have done to fulfill any of her wishes, no matter how big or small they were.

Once in the stables, we went to work immediately to prepare our saddles. I was carrying the large leather bag that contained all kinds of snacks for lunch and while I tied it to one side of my saddle, I watched her as she approached to peek through one of the windows of the barn, to look towards the farms…

"Hey!" She jumped slightly when I got her out of her reverie, and turned her back to the window to face me "Ready to go?" I asked her with a smile…I did not want to know what was going through her mind, but clearly there was something bugging her, and I had an idea of what it could be...

"Yes…let's go…" She tried to sound nonchalantly, but I knew better. Just before getting on her horse, she turned around to face me and revealed to me what was exactly what bothered her so much "You know…" She began hesitantly but then continued with steady voice "I have not seen Sylvie for a while…" If it had not been because I was expecting she would bring up the subject, I might not have been able to keep my face so composed

"And?" I retorted with a light snort

"Nothing…I was just wondering…if you knew something about her…"

"Why would I know something about her?" I retorted annoyed

"Don't you know everything about all your prisoners?" Yes, I knew a lot about my prisoners, especially about those who worked near the castle and in the castle itself, and she knew it too, so there was no point in denying it; I shrugged and then lied to her…

"Yes I do…but honestly…I'm not interested in knowing anything about her" I said offhandedly "Since the day you tried to escape, I have not seen her at all…" Despite my ability to lie, I could still see the cast of doubt in her blue eyes "Besides…I don't think it would do her any good if I go over to say hello, not after knowing what she did to you" I said sharply. My subtle threat maybe made her believe that I was telling the truth because, why would I threaten someone who was already dead?

"No…don't do that…please" She quickly said worried, taking my threat against Sylvie pretty seriously

"I won't…I told you already; I don't want to know about her" I made an effort to soften my tone and walked closer to her to cup her right cheek with the palm of my hand "And Piper…under no circumstances I want you to get near that place, understood?"

In the end, she caught the warning in my words since my voice did not come out as smooth as I had planned. She nodded agreeing my request and she did not deny me when I leaned toward her with a clear intention to kiss her. I gave her a light peck and smiled warmly looking into the stunning blue of her eyes. I hated to lie to her, and I wished never have to do it again, but I knew right away that it was going to be an impossible task and felt boundless contempt for myself…

"We'd better get going…shall we?" I said cheerfully, shaking off the bad moment.

Fortunately the matter seemed forgotten almost immediately, as we began to talk about other things with great ease as we entered into the woods…

"So you told Lorna that she needed to tell Nicky the truth" She had been feeding me with the conversation she had with Lorna the previous day while our horses kept a steady pace…

"Yes…I think it's the right thing to do…don't you?"

"Oh yes, absolutely" I agreed "You did good to advise her to talk to Nicky, although, I don't want to imagine how hard it's going to be for her knowing the truth" Nicky had always been prone to falling in love easily; she would do anything for any pretty girl who returned her even the slightest smile… _I swear Alex, it was love at first sight…_ she would say. But just as she fell in love very quickly, she would also get tired very soon, but that never was the case with Lorna. She always brought me new stories about her exchanges with Lorna in the market, and as months passed, I learned that Nicky was truly in love with her…

"I know but…" She trailed off and looked to my side to see a smile beginning to spread all over her face

"What?" I asked cautiously

"Things could work between them in the end…" She resumed mysteriously

"What makes you so sure about it?"

"I spoke to Lorna and _ammm_ …" She hesitated a moment before continuing "I proposed that maybe she could…give her a chance"

"You did what?!" I exclaimed shocked "Piper! I'm telling you…it's not a good idea to interfere in this subject" I admonished her

"I did not interfere, I only… _suggested_ …" She said innocently drawing out a smile from my stern façade "All I did was telling her our story and how we had ended up together, you know… _never say never…_ " Her voice was sweet and all I could do was to contain the urge to kiss her "What's wrong with that?" I knew she was looking for my consent to continue endorsing their relationship…

"There's nothing wrong about it…" I could not reproach her for telling our story; it was actually touching "Nonetheless, you should not encourage Lorna to give Nicky an opportunity by making an example of our story…Whether or not she gives her an opportunity, that's a decision she should make on her own"

"Fine!" She finally agreed after a heavy snort of annoyance "A race from here to the base of the slope?" The sudden question confused me, and just when I was going to accept the challenge, she had already put her horse to gallop...

"Damn it!" I cursed slightly annoyed, because the last time she had challenged me, she had done the same thing and had started before me "Cheater!" I shouted loudly and listened to her melodic laughter among the trees in front of me. That stretch of land was not dangerous, so I encouraged my mount to ride with all its mighty "Come on boy! Come ooon!" I managed to shorten the distance, but she was an excellent rider and always kept a good stretch between us…she stopped abruptly when she had reached the area set as the goal, and I got to her barely seconds after…

"What's your excuse now uh?" She had a smug smirk on her face that made it impossible for me to get mad at her

"You cheated…again!" I said as if shocked

"Oh come on!" She dismissed my reasons right away "Maybe I started a few seconds before you did…still, I managed to distance myself considerably from you in the final stretch…"

"Whatever…you are a cheater anyway…"

"Or maybe you just happen to have extremely slow reflexes…" She pondered for a while mockingly "It may be your age, you know…all those centuries…" I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress a grin

"Don't look so smug…you are going to regret your words" I said, failing to maintain a serious demeanor and made my horse to resume the march along the road that began to become irregular with rocks and roots "Be careful" I warned her as she followed me closely…

We reached the top of our plain in record time. The place was as impressive as always and even more, since the halo of light in the center had widened in all directions. I did not like that at all, but she seemed as amazed as the first time she had seen the place…

"Oh Alex…" She sighed in delight "Was it so bright the last time?"

"No…today is particularly full of light…" I was grateful that she was too absorbed in the landscape to notice my grimace…

We settled on the ground on the thick blanket I positioned as the last time, half of it to the light, and the other half on my side. She lay down close enough for me to feel her against the left side of my body, and brought her hand to the middle of my chest for me to hold it. I played with her fingers while she enjoyed the sunlight. She looked even more stunning bathed with the sun rays that made her golden strands to gleam until blinding me. At a certain moment, she turned around until positioning herself on top of me, burying her face in the crook of my neck…her skin and hair were warmer than usual from the sun and I almost choke on the feeling

"What are you doing?" The whole point of taking her to that place was that she could enjoy the sun

"I choose the lugubrious side…" She said melodiously and shrugged over me

"Why would you do that?" I asked in disbelief because… _Who in their right mind would ever prefer this side?_ I thought waiting for her response. She propped herself up with her arms on my chest to observe me from above leaving me awestruck with her tender gaze…

"Because it includes you… _silly_ " She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world; if only she was aware of the things her words had caused in me. I got lost in her blue eyes and curled my fingers behind her neck to pull her down until our lips met, to express with a kiss what I couldn't tell with simple words…I let our lips recognize each other with simple pecks, and shortly after my tongue was tracing the edges of her lips to finally give her a slight nibble on her lower rim that made her breathe with difficulty "Yes…I will unquestionably stay on this side" She gasped as I held her face to push her away from me just a little to speak…

"And even if you change your mind…" I flipped us around in the blink of an eye so that I was the one on top of her… "I could not let you go…" I whispered against her lips brushing them playfully

"Please…never let me go…" It sounded like a plea as she melted her words in a sealing kiss and buried her fingers in the back of my head to hold me close whilst alluring me into her mouth, tenderly and unhurriedly.

With her, always every moment became all or nothing…no matter how innocent our kisses were, I always found myself longing for more, and surely the same thing happened to her because the kiss soon became a desperate and silent request on her part. I leaned on my right elbow to leave my left hand free to travel down her body and settled my left thigh between her legs, pressing it now and then against her center; I stroked every inch of her front keenly, so that she could feel my caresses beyond the layer of clothes, which I decided not to take off because I did not want her to be cold, although my fingers ached to feel her skin. Every squeeze of my hand on her body drew out the most fascinating sounds that I would never get tired of listening; she fed me with tiny whimpers and short gasps that I collected carefully with my mouth and tongue to store them in the most precious recesses of my memory. My left hand continued descending down her trembling body and when it reached her upper thigh, I began pulling her skirt up, looking a way under the wide and voluminous garment until my fingertips registered the indistinctive fabric of her breeches…I smiled wickedly around her lips…

"Wait!" She said suddenly startled, releasing dreamy giggles evoked by the irruption of my hand under her skirt "What are you doing?"

"After everything I've taught you…" I feigned disappointment; my hand already was over her heated center above her underpants "Do you really need me to explain what I am doing?" I finished by cupping her mound purposely to show her my intentions, which made her gape in surprise; my lips sought for the exposed skin under her jaw…

"Alex…no!" She pushed me ever so slightly by my shoulders, trying to remain unyielding but a soft laugh got stuck in the back of her throat "Someone…someone could see us…" She panted profoundly as my lips traveled the full extent of the curve of her neck; she stopped pushing me and instead, snared my shoulders with her arms to bring me closer…

"Who is going to see us?" I laughed at her silliness against her heated flesh, right above her collarbone and withdrew a little from her to see her in the eyes "Only I get to see you Piper…" I argued covetously "And maybe our horses…" I added jokingly making her roll her eyes "I want you…here and now…" I said inflexibly looking into darkened blue pools that disappeared behind her eyelids when my fingers hooked around the edge of her waistband to pull it down just enough to slide my hand underneath her undergarments…

"Alex…" She evoked my name around a sigh as my fingers traced the soft patch of hair…

"Are you going to ask me to stop again?" I wondered naughtily, knowing for sure that she would not have the willpower to ask me such thing; sure enough, she shook her head in denial...

Seeing her completely stripped of will power under my hands, was something it would never cease to amaze me. I slipped my middle finger between her folds, more than drenched at that point and I had to suppress the low growl that hatched in my lowest point, so as not to overshadow the wonderful groan of pleasure that came from the depths of her throat. I left my fingers motionless, ensnared by her breathtaking warmth and her breath was suspended in a long whine inside a heavy puff of air. I began to touch her with reverence, worshipping her highest sensitiveness barely with the tip of my finger in a soft but yet unyielding caress, it's all it took me to push her over the edge. I think she had never come undone so fast, with hardly any effort on my part. She raised her hips into the minor touch gripping my neck and heaved out a wet moan, crumbling shortly after under my body with shudders of pleasure. Not even the pain that she caused me prevented me from enjoying her; I found her appallingly endearing, with her cheeks reddened by the hit of culmination, her lips drawn in a perfect "O" and her brows furrowed as if in deep concentration. Making her come had to be for sure the most wonderful sight in the whole world, I mused trying to ignore the pressing ache by focusing on her face. Luckily, I felt strong enough to withstand the blow. She drew my lips towards hers pulling me down by my neck and breathed impetuously in my mouth as if I could provide her the air missing in her lungs as she gave me desperate kisses…

"I reiterate my words…this side is the best…" She said against my lips laughing with delight "What was that for?" She asked befuddled, certainly taken by surprise by my spontaneity; it was not something I had planned to be honest. It was the kind of impulsiveness she woke up in me; my desire to have her had been too big to wait for a more proper place to do it, although the moment could not have been better. Any place and moment that included her, was perfect for itself…

"I would not want you to change your mind about staying on this side with me…" I whispered playfully, grasping her lower lip to give it a purposeful tender bite…

" _Never_ …" She managed to say with her lip still between my teeth.

The rest of the day went by peacefully. I appreciated every second of isolation with her. At home, we could share a lot of time together, but the feeling of remoteness that the place offered, in some way increased the sensation of being with her, as if there was no one else in the world but us. We left in the late afternoon right before sunset. I wanted to get going before nightfall, thinking that maybe Piper would feel uneasy traveling through the dark forest, although I was sure that the night would fall halfway in our way back anyways. Nevertheless, I noticed that she seemed much more comfortable and at ease in the forest; she did not fear the place as she did at the beginning, not even when darkness was beginning to envelop us; maybe she assumed that nothing bad could happen to her while being with me…If only I had not made the same mistake…If only I had not taken her safety for granted…maybe then I would have been more careful and would have paid attention to my surroundings. The feeling of security, of safety, kept me too distracted, so when I sensed the heavy presence that loomed over us, it was already too late…

I heard a heavy shuffle on the side of the road and whipped my head to focus on the source of the sound and in the blink of an eye a damned beast jumped out from among the dead trees, disturbing our peaceful ride, and pounced in _her_ direction. Everything happened so fast that I did not have time to shout a warning at her, or to stand between the beast and her. _Charm_ rose on its hinds completely mad with fear and then Piper screamed my name with dread as she fell backwards from her horse.

"Alex!" I went into action after a second of bewilderment and I managed to catch her before her back even touched the ground, cushioning her fall with my body. Without time to asses if she was hurt I tried to vanish with her from the place as soon as I had her secured in my arms to take her back to the safety of the castle, but something failed in my attempt as we continued stuck in the forest. The beast was preparing the second assault, retreating only to attack with more force and I panicked like I had never done it before, feeling useless without my magic, totally incapable of controlling the situation and unable to protect her. I did not have time to think why my powers seemed subdued…

When the beast charged again in our direction, I covered her with my body, flipping us around, so she was pressed against the ground flat on her stomach and I kept her pinned with my weight, protecting her head with my arms and hands. I greeted my teeth and closed my eyes waiting for the blow and I prayed that my body would serve as enough protection to guard her, but the thing came to a halt right next to us and began to sniff our bodies, mostly mine that was on top. It snarled frustrated right in my ear and I dared to turn my head to one side to face it; when I locked my eyes with it, the beast stopped growling, although its teeth were in full display and its rotten breath hit my face with each sharp breath. I couldn't understand how that cursed creature was so out of control and how it dared to attack her when I was with her. Because it was attacking _her…_ its bloody eyes were solely trained on her. Piper trembled below me; I could hear her laborious breathing around her choked whimpers of fear. Without looking away from the beast, I leaned ever so slightly towards her, to whisper into her ear as calmly as I could…

" _Shhhhh_ …" I sighed reassuringly "Don't move" I think she heard me because I felt her body tense, trying to contain her tremors and her breathing became ragged but unwavering "It's alright…stay put no matter what" I stroked the hair behind her head reassuringly for some seconds until I felt her becoming calmer under my words and touch…

The creature was still hovering over us, nuzzling me brusquely, as if wanting to get me out of the way and I understood that maybe it wanted to reach her, but to do so it would have to pass over me since I was protecting every inch of her body with mime, and I didn't know if the damned thing would dare to touch _me_. The thought enraged me wildly…Why should it attack Piper?...I felt the wrath boiling within me and I did not hesitate to answer to its short snorts with a low and menacing growl staring deeply into its unhinged eyes, that made it recoil a couple of inches, as if taken aback. I took advantage of its small retreat to prop myself up with my arms and gain some ground, sliding slowly off Piper's body and towards the beast, dragging my body over the dirt at a snail's pace. My daring move made it back away a little more; I wanted to draw its attention to me and taking it away from her as much as I could. I was in all fours in front of it, pushing it backwards with my poise but not wanting to get up until being sure of my dominance over the beast. The animal left out a couple of grunts, not yet fully intimidated with my stance; I needed to control it at any cost and taking advantage of its slight vacillation I allowed myself to unleash the beast within me.

I repositioned myself, no longer on my knees but with my feet firmly settled on the ground, crouched forward keeping the balance with my hands, fingers buried in the dirt, ready to stand and raise myself above the creature…I rose little by little, releasing a rumbling hiss laced with threat, until my throat burned with the effort. Finally, that seemed to baffle the beast and after another hostile roar from my height, it adopted an attitude of submission. It flattened down it ears and huddled down, ducking its face at my feet. Already sure of my control, I looked for the dagger that I always kept behind my back and swung it forward to stab the thing in an accurate and fast movement that ended its life after choking with a shriek of pain. The brute hit the ground with the heaviness of its dead body in front of me; I poked it with the tip of my boot with contempt, as a good measure, and when I knew for certain that it was dead, I swirled around and ran to crouch by Piper's side, who was still lying flattened against the ground, with her hands behind her head in a protective manner…

"Piper…" I said with soft firmness, a guarantee that she was already out of danger. I took her hands to uncover her head, forcing her out of her shocked state "it's alright…it's alright…you are safe…" I leaned down to speak softly in her ear

"Alex…" She breathed out with shaky voice, turning her head to one side to see me from the corner of her watery eyes…

"Pipes…"I greeted her tenderly swiping the little drop that had just escaped from one eye "Come here…" I encouraged her to sit down on the floor, so I could get a better look of her and make sure she was unscathed. I helped her to a sitting position and crouched in front of her, taking her face with moistened cheeks between my hands… "Are you hurt?" She shook her head in denial and tears began to sprout from her eyes without control

"What in hells was that?" She asked with horror. I had already told her about the beasts and monsters that inhabited those lands. In theory, those beasts were meant to obey me…their job was to attack anything that did not belong within the Shadow Lands and facilitate my job of catching anyone who should not be in my lands…but never a beast had dare to attack one of my companions…

"We'll have time to talk later" I said nervously looking around

"Alex…" She cried in despair and laced her arms around my neck, breaking into a weighty sob "I was so scared…"

"I know, I know…I'm sorry you got scared…" I hugged her tightly keeping her face strongly against my chest and shielding her body with my arms, wanting to wash her fears away "You are safe now…I'll keep you safe" I tried to sound convincing, because at that moment, after what had happened, I would not know it keeping her safe and sound was possible anymore. I gave her another squeeze and made a gesture for us to stand up; I held her tightly as we stood up "We'll be at home in a second" I was about to make a new attempt to disappear and take her away from that place immediately but her cry of desperation stopped me in my tracks…

"Wait no!" She pulled from me with despair and I watched her confused "The horses…" She pointed out. At that moment, I could not care less about the horses; not that I did not care about the animals, but bringing Piper to safety was the only thing I had in mind

"I will come back later for them…" That if I was capable to take us home with my magic in the first place…

"But _Charm_ ran away…" She stressed out. I looked around and effectively, the white filly was nowhere to be found, whereas my horse had stayed relatively close; he was not so prone to fleeing before danger…

"She will find the way back home…" I said, although I did not know if it was true; _Charm_ had only travel that path a couple of times. My horse, on the other hand, would surely find the way back…

"No Alex…we need to find her" She pleaded clinging urgently to my arms "Please…" I knew how much she loved that horse…

"Piper…" I began saying with hurt; _Charm_ meant a lot to me too; she had been a gift from me so I would not have liked to lose her either, nevertheless, I did not want Piper in that forest a second more than necessary…

"If you take me home and leave _Charm_ alone…" She could not finish the sentence; the high pitched words got stuck in her throat, but the hurt in her eyes was enough for me to understand what she was meaning to tell me…she would never forgive me if I were to leave _Charm_ to her fate. I was standing between a rock and a hard place. I clenched my jaw and shut my eyes pondering the situation without letting the feelings cloud my mind, preventing me from making the most logical decision… _going home_ … "Please Alex… _please_ " She kept pleading me between sobs that made it harder to leave my feelings aside.

Without words, I turned away from her and opened my eyes to study the forest that was beginning to grow darker with every minute that passed. The only way for me to succumb to her pleas, was if I could somehow verify that my magic was working again, to feel myself again in control of my power. I focused on the black earth under my feet and after a few seconds, it started to shake very subtly, but enough to know that I was still connected to that land. I took the grasp of my magic a little further and the naked branches of the trees in front of me began to twist under my command…

"Alex?" She wondered from behind with a hint of trepidation. I sensed her getting closer to me and placing a hand over my shoulder, making me come to a halt…the movements of the earth and the trees ceasing at once. I turned to face her with a soft gesture…

"Let's go find her…" A wave of gratitude washed all over her gestures when she grasped my words, shortening our distance to throw her arms around me and keeping me in place with a strong embrace…

"Thank you…" She thanked me

"Come on…" I stroked her arms tenderly to break the hold of them, to remind her that we had to get going "Let's move on…"

We both got on my horse; I let her sit in front of me to grant her some sort of protection and I became alert as I had never been while wandering through the woods that I believed safe; I was not so sure about it anymore. I hesitated a moment when deciding which route to take. The scared filly could have run away in any direction; in the heat of the moment, none of us saw where she had gone, so we followed the most logical way of thinking, as far as a horse is concerned…maybe she had tried to take the road back home, and that's the path we followed with a steady pace.

"What if she followed another trail?" Piper wondered with dread after having traveled a good stretch of the trail without seeing signs of the young horse…

"We don't know…but we had to start somewhere" If _Charm_ had taken another path, then it was going to be really hard to find her, if not impossible, like looking for a needle in a haystack…

"What if we never find her?" She echoed my own worries, but I did not find the guts to discourage her acknowledging that _that_ could be the most likely possibility…

"We will find her…I promise, and if we don't find her tonight, I will organize a searching squad and offer a great reward for whoever finds her" She buried her back further against my front, a silent way to show me how much she appreciated my words of assurance, even when my promise was empty since I lacked certainty…

"She must be terrified…"

"She'll be fine and you'll get to pamper her all you want when we get home…" I said brightly at the entrance of her ear to lighten her worries

"I'm going to feed her apples and carrots until she can't hold another bite" She retorted in the same way in an attempt to remain optimistic…I kissed the space behind her ear and muffled a little laugh that came out a little strained for my anguished state, though she didn't seem to notice my shaky form, thankfully.

After riding for another good time, my ears registered a subtle sound, almost imperceptible. I stopped the horse and urged Piper to keep quiet to listen in more detail. A soft whine choked with small neighs burst into the vast silence… _Charm_ …I knew it was her and by the sounds she was making, I knew the animal was wounded. The low complains released by the filly could only mean she was in trouble. Piper must have sensed the tension growing inside me…

"Alex…what is it?" She asked me in a whisper; her hearing was not so sharp as mine

"I think I heard her…" I replied, directing my horse towards the sound. It came behind some dead bushes, next to the road. When we were close enough, I got off the horse and helped Piper down after me "Stay very close to me" I said tense, although she was already by my side clinging to my arm "Over here…" We passed the bushes through an area that seemed less dense; I suspected that the enraged horse had been the cause of the broken branches, leaving behind a passage wide enough to pass through it. I could hear the animal's moans of pain more clearly as we entered into the brushwood and then I saw her…lying on one side in a small clearing, trying to maintain her head high to listen attentively to her surroundings. I felt I was being punched with a fist in my stomach; a horse lying on the floor as _Charm_ was, was definitely not a good sign…

"Charm!" Piper cried with despair and ran to kneel next to animal's head "Oh no…" She lamented as I approached slowly to assess her condition. It only took me a second to see that one of the front legs was completely broken, bent in an unnatural way "Alex…" Piper's eyes were trained on the problem. She knew a lot about horses; from her tone, I understood that she had come to the same conclusion that I had…the animal was hurt beyond repair. I crouched by her side and laid my hand gently on her shoulder…

"I'm so sorry Pipes…" There was nothing more to say

" _Nooo_ …" She whined softly and threw her upper body over _Charm's_ neck to hug her tenderly "I'm so sorry sweetie…I'm so sorry…" She kept saying between sobs, saying goodbye to her horse. _Charm_ seemed to accept her fate and grew calmer under the gentle caresses of her owner. I gave her some time before doing what had to be done…

"Pipes…" I muttered painfully after a while, squeezing her shoulder in support "She is in pain" I said subtly, hinting at her what was going to come…she grasped the meaning of my words

"No please…just…" She began arguing despite knowing the truth "Do something!" She demanded desperately after running out of words

"I can't do anything Pipes…you know that" I explained very gently "The only thing I can do is to end with her suffering…"

"But your magic…" She began to discuss, grasping my hands urgently with hope but I had to cut her short…

"It does not work for this…" We had already talked about my magic many times; I could do many things with it, but it was not made for healing. Her eyes were full with pain and I felt my insides falling apart with the helplessness of not being able to spare her the painful moment; resignation manifested itself in the form of abundant drops that moistened her cheeks "I'm sorry…" I muttered shifting my body towards her to hold her tightly in my arms "I'm so sorry my lovely Pipes" I comforted her "She won't feel a thing…I swear…" It was the best thing I could do…to guarantee her a quick and painless death. The animal next to us evoked an agonizing snort that made Piper to finally accept the fate of her beloved filly…

"Alright…" She said with shaky determination breaking our embrace, but I saw resolve clear in her glossy eyes "Do it…"

"You don't have to stay…" I did not want her to witness the scene. My work would be quite quick and painless, as I had promised…a blow to the heart, an instant, and it would be done; still…maybe it was too much for her to see

"I won't leave her side…I'm staying…" She said stubbornly, returning to lie down to put her arms over the animal's neck and sigh reassuring words in her ears. I did not have to warn her to keep her eyes away; she turned her face away from the scene holding _Charm_ tightly through the whole process. I thought I better hurry…

I got up after giving Piper a touch of reassure in the back of her head. I walked around to position myself before the muscular chest of the animal, getting on my knees. I patted her shoulder soothingly; her eyes were full of fear and I wanted to provide some kind of comfort before taking her life…

"I'm sorry beautiful…" I murmured with calming tone while reaching for the knife stealthily; animals could be very perceptive "You will not feel any more pain" I continued talking while preparing the blow. Piper's crying intensified gradually, as the moment came closer. I already had the knife ready, my arm drawn back to take momentum and strike when I felt my left hand, still kept on the animal's shoulder, burn so intensely that I had to remove it as if I had just touched red coal… _What the fuck…_ I dropped the knife flabbergasted with what I saw. Piper's form seemed to be engulfed along Charm's body by a halo of light so intense that made me squint hard. I almost wanted to look away to avoid the unpleasant blinding sensation, but I could not stop looking at what was happening right before me. I had never seen anything like that; nevertheless I was certain…that was _white magic_ working…and so, I got the irrefutable confirmation about Piper's powers; she held white magic within her. All of a sudden, the light was extinguished, leaving me dazzled; _Charm_ snorted loudly and animatedly turning around and standing up in front of me; her front leg was holding her weight as if nothing had happened.

"Alex…" Piper's voice of marvel took me out of my bewilderment. I looked to my left to see Piper still on the ground like me, carrying a face of amazement, looking up to observe her horse miraculously standing and healthy "You did it…" Her sight shifted from the horse to my face in wonderment "You did it!" She repeated with more force crawling towards me with a huge smile plastered on her face and tackling me down when pouncing on me to embrace me with impetus "You did it! You did it!" She continued saying happily while peppering my face devoid of gestures as I remained lying on the floor trying to understand everything that had just happened "How? Just how did you do it?" She spoke to me but I still could not deliver a single word…

"I…" _I didn't do it_ … _You did it_ …I wanted to say "I don't know" I ended up saying, not sure if it was the best time to explain Piper the truth. First I needed to overcome the shock of the affirmation; furthermore, I needed to clarify what had happened before with the beast attacking Piper and my momentary inability to use my magic…I did not know if both events were related to each other...

"Maybe not all of you is dark magic Alex…" She said hopefully watching me from above with reverence, something I did not deserve…

"I don't think that's it" I said bitterly, refusing to take credit…

"Then explain to me, how was _Charm_ healed?" She inquired persistently

"It's not time to talk about this" I said sullenly ending the conversation. I sat up, bringing her with me to a sitting position, and began to stand up, helping her in the process "We must go" I sentenced urgently when we were standing face to face. I passed by her to take the reins of the horse "We will ride my horse…I don't think it's a good idea to put weight on her, just in case" I said casually, avoiding discussing the other subject. I took the reins and began walking towards where we had left my saddle. Piper observed me cagely; maybe I had been too rough with her when answering her questions. I felt instant repentance. When I walked again towards her, I took her hand gently with my free one and gave her a conciliatory squeeze and spoke to her kindly "Many things have happened today…we will talk about it later" I brought our linked hands to her cheek, my thumb ghosting over her soft skin "Right now, I just want to get you home safely" She nodded smiling shyly…

We began riding without further delay. The pace was slow; I did not want to force _Charm_ to go faster, and that caused me anxiety. The night had already swallowed up everything, and although darkness was not a problem for me, those forests I thought I knew so well, no longer felt safe, and I could not shake the feeling of trepidation crawling along my spine. Strangely, Piper seemed extremely calm in front of me. She was leaning back against my front, bobbing her head in sleep from time to time. The recent events must have left her exhausted. So the way back home was eerily silent, allowing me to have some time alone with my mind…I kept thinking about the damned beast that had deliberately launched an attack against Piper and how my magic had failed when I tried to protect her. I was supposed to hold control over those elements and somehow, for the first time in my life, I was at lost and I hated the feeling. A voice interrupted my train of thought; it was not the sweet voice of the girl that I was holding securely between my arms, the only voice I would have expected to hear at that moment...no, this voice was part of me, it came from within me and invaded every space of my being and I could not block it even if I wanted to; I was obliged to listen to it…

 _Open your eyes Alex, once and for all…she is a threat that most be eradicated…I was doing us a favor…_ The voice began saying and then it hit me; I realized that I had let down my guard leaving the darkness wholly in charge. I was horrified to think that my own power, or the lack of control over it, had been responsible of the attack that could have ended Piper's life. The voice in my head burst with sardonic laughter at my own realization and continued talking with disdain and mockery… _You'll see Alex, I still have the power to bend you…I'll always be lurking, waiting for the right moment…when you least expected, I'll strike again…I will not let your weakness for her be the end of me…_

The voice had ripped my ability to respond; I was speechless, paralyzed, as its words bounced against the walls of my skull. Unconsciously, the grip I kept around _her_ got tighter, and I encouraged my horse to a quicker pace to reach the castle's security, even if by then, I was no longer certain there was a safe place for her in the _Shadow Lands_ anymore…


	47. Chapter 47

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello beautiful and wonderful people! I hope you are all ok. I'm fine as you can see ;) I warned you already that it would take me more time than usual to update now that the story is nearing its end :( I promise you chapters full of many emotions, I'm working so hard now because it is becoming more and more complicated with every chapter since I have so many ideas but it is hard to translate it to give this story the end it deserves and that YOU deserve. I hope not to disappoint you with the path I'll be following, althought I think you'll like the final result (HOPEFULLY XD) Thank you so much for reading and for your constant support, I know I've said that many times but I will repeat it as many times as necessary...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

 **CHAPTER XLVII (Piper's POV)**

The beast was in front of me, locking me against the trees and leaving me no way out, without place to run. My heart was beating fast; I almost felt it jumping out of my mouth. Its fur was black and ungainly, and it walked towards me on its four legs with relentlessness, displaying its huge yellowish fangs. It looked like a wolf, only much bigger, or maybe a bear, but smaller; an animal for which I had no name. I shouted _her_ name knowing that she would be my only hope, taking for granted that she would protect me…

" _Warden!_ " But she did not appear and the animal was getting closer…

My knees weakened and I fell to the ground, sliding down with my back against a trunk so that my face was then at the beast's height, which allowed me to see right into its piercing eyes. There was something horrifyingly familiar in them; they were light green, so clear that they semeed devoid of color. They gleamed dangerously even in the current obscurity, but above all things, they were beautiful, _likes hers…_ I thought and froze at my realization…

"Alex?" I voiced as loud as I could, however I barely whispered the name; fear was a hand strangling my neck, making it impossible to breathe, but the beast must have had an excellent hearing, because as soon as the name tripped from my lips in a sigh, the creature stopped and hid the atrocious set of teeth behind its rabid lips, though its eyes were callous and treacherous. The animal kept its position a few centimeters from my face for a moment as if considering attacking me or sparing my life "Alex…" I said again with a little more conviction, almost certain that _she_ was in there since there could not be another set of eyes like those in the world. The brute assessed me with curiosity and ever so carefully, leaned its big head towards me to sniff my hair stuck on my neck. I felt the cold air of its coarse breathing heating my skin, making my heart pound fitfully with dread. If the beast wanted, it could tear out my neck with a single bite of its massive jaw; however, the creature nuzzled softly the crook of my neck with amity, calming my altered heart all of a sudden as I thought that maybe, just maybe, the beast was not going to attack me. It withdrew its head a little to fix me in place with its sharp gaze, but despite its harshness, I saw a hint of recognition…the beast _knew_ me…"Alex…it's me…Piper" I said and I would swear that its gaze softened substantially, warming my whole being despite the whole situation.

Only when I was sure that it was not going to attack me, I dared to rise my shivering but resolute hand to place it above its gigantic head, right in the flatness between its ears; awful mistake. I heard a pitching squeal that pierced my ears and saw the creature collapsing in front of me, as if the simple touch of my hand had caused it harm and knocked it out. I withdrew my hand immediately and the next thing I knew was that the creature had risen again on its four only to find myself face to face with the most beautiful creature I had ever seen; there was no trace of the beast anymore, only the elegant and breathtakingly alabaster countenance of the person I loved with all my being; _that_ should have provoked in me some kind of comfort, or at least some sense of security. However, relief never came because her cold and impersonal features only caused my body to shake violently as a sharp chill traveled along my spine. Her eyes were no longer emeralds in the night, but dark as ebony, full of rage; _those_ eyes did not recognize me. My blood froze when that hazardous beauty smiled at me without traces of the distinctive fondness she always reserved for me. It was a grin of hatred and all her features were contorted to display a horrible grimace. I was about to say her name but I had no time to do so; she pounced on me with unstoppable force to sink her perfect white teeth into the flesh of my neck. My warm blood sprout from the wound and I tried to scream but the grip of her jaw on my windpipe was too strong. The pain was unbearable, but it didn't hurt more than the fact that she was the one inflicting it. I was numbed, not even able to fight for my life and I left myself get lost into the pain until unconsciousness…

"Piper…Piper!" I heard the heavenly voice calling me, but I could not identify where it came from…everything was dark and I could not move, but at least I was no longer in pain "Piper! Wake up!" My body was being shaken by something "It's just a dream…" I clung to those words and to the sound of the voice that delivered them. They pushed me out of my drowsiness. I opened my eyes excessively to absorb the reality and took a big gulp of air, relishing in the feeling of filling my lungs after being suffocated in my dreams, as if emerging from drowning "Hey…it was just a bad dream…" I flinched momentarily at the sight of _her_ face barely inches above from mine; I locked my eyes with hers and the clarity I found in them was all I needed to feel safe…to feel at _home…_

"Alex…" I panted, still dismayed at the images of my recent nightmare. I watched her intently under the dim light of the fireplace, as if trying to discern if she was real or not "Alex…" I kept saying her name with respite, finally comprehending that everything had been just a bad dream…

"Shhhhh…" She shushed me gently, measuring my condition with a look of concern "It's alright Pipes…" I grew calmer under the soothingly circling motions she was making with her thumb over my cheek, leaving traces of ice and fire behind her touch "I'm right here…" She leaned further to place her lips on my forehead and leave them there in reassurance of her previous words… _I'm right here_ …she kept saying without words. My body came back to life after leaving behind the lethargic state caused by fright. I forced my hands to seek refuge where I always knew I could find it; in the hair of her nape and began to caress the soft spot digging the tip of my fingers tenderly into her scalp. I don't know how much time passed, absentminded in the calm the simple gesture brought me, until her voice broke the silence "You want to talk about it?" She spoke very close to my face; I opened my eyes again and savored the sweet smell of her being so close to me, and it was all I needed at that time… _Alex…my Alex…not the one of the nightmare_ …

"No…I don't want to talk at all…" My voice came out hoarse and strained…

"Are you sure?..." I ducked my face to avoid her look of scrutiny "A lot of things happened yesterday, it is perfectly normal to have nightmares after that Pipes…" She said with tenderness, knowing exactly what was the cause of my nightmares "If you want to talk about it now, we'll talk about it…if not, try to sleep a little more and tomorrow we can talk calmly" She proposed

We had arrived from our disastrous journey quite late. After making sure that _Charm_ was perfectly fine, we headed to our room without even bothering to take a bath. I was exhausted and I barely managed to stay awake during dinner. Alex had insisted for me to at least have a couple of bites from a dish that I did not pay attention to before going to bed. We did not talk about the events of the afternoon, since I noticed Alex's unwillingness to do so… _We'll talk tomorrow; you need to get some rest…_ she had said and that ended my attempts to talk. I did not have a hard time agreeing because fatigue took the best of me, so without further discussion, I put on my robe and headed to bed, and I don't even remember the exact moment I had fallen asleep, until I woke up heavily startled by my nightmares in the middle of the night.

"We can talk tomorrow" I said

"Alright…whatever you want" She rewarded me with the gentlest kiss before saying "Go back to sleep…I'll be right here" She promised me, lying on my side and passing her left arm protectively over my waist, pulling me closer and motioning me to turn around to _spoon_ me. She always managed to pull out easy smiles from me. I did as she wanted and turned my back on her, scooting closer to her until her front fitted perfectly against my back. For that moment, she made me forget all the horrible things that had happened the previous days, and made me feel untouchable, as invincible as she was, because when she said that she would be there with me, there was no way of thinking that something bad could ever happen to me…

Instinctively, the first thing I did when I woke up again and did not feel her body against mine as usual, was to extend my arms to look for the shape of her blindly, but my fingers only came across the soft canvas of empty sheets. I muttered a sound of discontent and opened my eyes... _Liar…_ I thought sullenly; she had promised to stay by my side…

"Good morning…" The mattress sunk slightly from one side and I felt terrible for having called her a liar…she had stayed with me after all

"Good morning…" I mumbled against the pillow; I kept my face buried as I was lying face down, and I sensed her presence hovering over my back…Her cold fingers traveled nicely the back of my neck to pull my hair aside and she pressed her mouth deliciously on my nape, right under my hair line making me shudder with pleasure "I'm sorry" The words were muffled by the pillow…

"Sorry? What for?" I heard the puzzlement in her voice and I turned around to face her

"For calling you a liar…" I said with real remorse which only confused her more…

"I don't remember such a thing…when did that happen?" She asked with a frown but her lips carried a smirk of amusement

"A minute ago…in my mind…" I explained as she assessed me with the most amazed gesture

"And why would you call me a liar in your mind?"

"Because when I woke up I thought you were gone…" She mocked a face of hurt

"Ouch!" She breathed out with a grimace "I walk away from you just a tiny moment to make sure you have a delicious breakfast on the table for when you wake up…and this is what I get? You calling me a liar…!" She shook her head slyly feigning reproach "That's just… _unpardonable_ " She finally said with a wounded expression

"Unpardonable?" I repeated regretfully "There must be something I can do to amend my fault" I said curling my fingers behind her neck to bring her closer to me but she remained immovable despite the force I exerted to pull her down towards me. She made a gesture as if considering my words…

"I don't know…" She said clenching her jaw with severity, but I could see the glint of fun in her eyes "I really don't know if there's anything you can do to earn my forgiveness"

"At least give me the opportunity to try…even in vain…to show you how sorry I am" I pleaded dramatically pulling from her neck with more force

"I guess...that's something I can consent to" Then she stopped resisting my claim and let herself be dragged by my poor strength until our lips met. _Would I ever get tired of her lips?_ I wondered as my lips took in the shape of hers leisurely, enjoying the feeling of the meeting and wanting to make it last forever. I savored the fleshy edges of her mouth, totally owning the moment as she allowed me to be in control of the kiss. I nibbled her lower lip and sucked it scrumptiously smiling when I heard her shaky low moan…

"And? Am I forgiven?" I asked innocently over my own altered breathing which worsened when she opened her eyes to reveal them a couple of shades darker…

"You are absolutely on the right path of redemption, but I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more convincing to get there…" She said impishly in that way that made my heart stop painfully and my hands become numb with a tingling sensation that seemed to come from my lower belly.

Then, as she said, I decided to be more persuasive, so the second time I forced our lips together, I was not so gentle. The second kiss was anything but unconvincing. I ventured my tongue inside her mouth without a prelude, taking for granted her consent. I was slightly disappointed to feel her own tongue dormant, but I knew she was just playing hard since _I had to_ _earn her forgiveness_ , so I continued exploring the insides of the cavity without contemplation. However, there was little she could withstand at keeping herself collectedly; I just had to reach the sky of her mouth and caress it with the tip of my tongue to break her unruffled pretense. She let out a low moan that resembled a growl and I grinned against her mouth, and in a second she snatched away my so brief control. I couldn't care less about who was in control as long as the result was her lips on mine or vice versa. The weight of her body pinned me down delectably against the mattress; I didn't know how she had managed to change her position without breaking the bond between our lips. I slid my hands down her shoulders to the lower part of her back, where my fingers began untucking her shirt from under her pants to uncover the portion of alabaster skin and slid my hands under her shirt to dig my fingertips on her suggestively; I scratched her skin as she purred in delight into my mouth; I swore I felt her squirming under my slight caresses, and her tongue reciprocated each one of my minor ministrations. My hands slid to her sides, to hang on her waist, right above her hipbones and ever so furtively, I hooked my fingers under the waistband of her leather pants and slid them over the edge until meeting at her front, where I found the cord that kept her pants in place. I pulled from the end of the leather thread, loosening the knot in a swift movement allowing my right hand freedom of movement underneath her garments. I slid my hand down her body until my fingers met the hirsute hair and _that_ made her stop the cares she was delivering to my mouth, as she pushed her face away to observe me with a perfect eyebrow raised in an arch…

"What are you doing?" She asked me humorously with her typical smirk of haughtiness from above, where she kept herself hoisted with the help of her forearms, placed to both sides of my head…

"After everything you've taught me…" I recalled the same words she had said to me the day before "Do you really need me to explain what I am doing?" I smiled widely satisfied when I saw her cheerful face turn serious by my words as I slipped my fingers between her legs to find the heavenly moisture so highly treasured by me…

"Oh _fuck_ …" She exhaled noisily shutting her eyes heavily and I was enchanted observing her face of pleasure from below and how it changed its expressions with each movement my fingers played on her core. I found myself smiling broadly at the sight of her displaying the most diverse gestures while I kept a steady rhythm right on her little bundle that I no longer failed to find…

"Am I forgiven now?" I said in the middle of her daze. She knitted her eyebrows together and gaped her mouth repeatedly in bafflement

"What?" She finally said as she opened her eyes striking me with the beauty in them caused by her lustful state…

"For calling you a liar…" I clarified and before her unwillingness to grant me _forgiveness_ I stopped the circular motion of my fingers making her hitch her breath sharply…

"Don't you dare" I would have taken her threat more seriously if not because her voice faltered in the end sounding almost like a plea…

"Then say it…" I grinned knowingly, sure that I had the upper hand "Say you forgive me" I insisted obdurately, continuing with the silly game of offenses that never existed and apologies that were never necessary…

"What if I tell you…that you were already forgiven after the first kiss…" She twisted her eyebrows sneakily as if she had plan a scheme to make me beg for her forgiveness…

"That's just cruel…" I said mocking disapproval

"No… _you_ are cruel…" She retorted amused but there was a shadow of annoyance maybe caused by her frustrated release that depended so much of the fingers that I kept unmoving within her wetness. I was close to resume the movements; my willpower was not so unbending as hers…I had not emotional capacity to deny her what she needed, what she wanted, unlike her, who seemed to enjoy greatly delaying my pleasure every time she could do so. On second thought, I considered that maybe it was time to make her implore as she had made me do so many times "Do you want me to beg you?" She seemed to realize my internal debate before I could even muster my true purposes. A wicked smiled crept its way into my lips just thinking about it, about _her_ pleading to be touched by me…

"Maybe…" I voiced softly and continued observing her absorbedly, trying to discern if she wasn't just messing with me. Her expression was unreadable; she still carried an amused stance, but she was not smiling at all and her gaze was deep and I felt her creeping into my soul

"You would be the first person to do it…drawing such words out of me" She finished saying like someone who just made a huge declaration "And I wouldn't mind at all…I would even get on my knees if necessary…" She flourished the end of her brief speech raising her eyebrows suggestively

"It won't come to that…" I didn't need an actual demonstration of her devotion for me by getting her on her knees "However…I would love to hear you asking me nicely for a change…" I prolonged the banter a little more. I saw her eyes flashing with entertainment while she listened to my conditions. She took a deep breath and her face became serious, gathering the courage to finally say the words…

" _Please…_ " The simple whisper of the word made my heart flutter "I need you to touch me…" She pushed her pelvis down against my front, leaving my hand that rested still under her undergarments trapped between our bodies and very in touch with the part of her that claimed my urgent attention.

And so, before such a plea, I had no choice but to resume the motion of my fingers, very slowly at first, a faint caress over her sensitiveness, complying with her wishes but withholding some control over her, which I found thrilling…

"Faster Piper, _please_ …" She demanded kindly, increasing the cadence of the swing of her hips that I met with my hand with pleasure.

Her calm breathing went in crescendo along with the movement of my hand and fingers until her body came to a halt all of a sudden to precede her glorious trembling…When the culmination hit her she collapsed on me, momentarily cutting my breath with her violent tremors that I felt as mine as hers, because if there was something better in the world than her making love to me, it only could be me doing love to her. It was mesmerizing and addictive. Her rough breathing against my ear sent shivers all down my body along my spine and I was happy as never, taking all the form of her pleasure between my hands and arms. I held her tightly with my left arm while my right hand continued attached intimately with her algid center accompanying her on her fall until her quivering body became motionless, lying on me with all her weight, which I did not mind at all. I slowly withdrew my hand imprisoned between our bodies to free my arm and cradle her against my chest, waiting as always for her to come out of her daze…

"You are totally forgiven…" She said against my ear with raspy voice after a while, making me chuckle lightly…

"I thank you, My Lady" I replied formally when she faced me, stunning me with her radiant eyes that gleamed with happiness…

"Breakfast?" She suggested playfully, and I of course accepted immediately…

"Yes please…"

We started breakfast sharing glances and half smiles; we both seemed to be avoiding words unconsciously, or maybe knowingly. We still had to discuss what had happened the previous day, but I did not want to be the first to bring up the subject not knowing if she would be in the mood to talk about it. However, she was the one who forced me to talk first in the middle of our breakfast…

"So…are you going to tell me about your dream last night?" She wondered casually, taking a sip of her tea, but she was observing me closely with heaviness. I could not lie or she would notice…

"It was nothing…" I fixed my eyes on the plate in front of me and forced myself to look at her "I dreamed about the beast that attacked us…that's all" I shrugged, omitting the part where the beast became _her_ and it was _she_ who was actually attacking me in the nightmare…

"I'm so sorry about that Piper…I was not expecting it…"

"It was not your fault Alex…" I began saying because I already knew that she would find the way to blame herself for what had happened

"Yes it was…" She continued "I should have been more careful…I put your life at risk…"

"Alex…" I tried again to free her from the guilt but she did not allow me to go on…

"And it won't happen again…" She vowed firmly with a voice that chilled my blood

"What do you mean?" I did not like the way she spoke, and I felt there was some hidden meaning in her words

"Today I will organize several hunting parties to put down those beasts that roam through the forests…" She said more calmly then "What happened yesterday cannot be repeated again…"

"And what exactly happened yesterday?" I inquired with a frown and waited for an answer

"I don't know" The answer took her a long time and it did not satisfy my doubts

"You don't know?" I retorted slightly annoyed; I did not buy _that_ at all

"I. don't. know." She repeated each word very slowly and I knew that would be all the explanation I would get from her

"That _thing_ attacked us Alex…" I said exasperated "I thought those creatures only got orders from you…" I didn't think about my words, and as I saw her face of hurt I realized that I had made it sound like I was actually blaming her, so I softened my tone "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"

"No, you are right…those things are supposed to be under my control; I guess I was distracted and I did not even notice its presence…" I could see frustration clear on her face "But I swear to you…it will never happen again" She reached for my hand on the table to give me a reassuring squeeze "I'm sorry I put your life in danger…"

"You protected me with all your being…I did not fear for my life not even for a second, Alex" I told her honestly because despite the terror of the moment, I had only feared for her…

"Right…" She said bitterly and gave me the saddest smile…I could only imagine how guilty she felt. I got on my feet and walked to her to sit on her lap. It didn't take her a second to embrace me in her arms…

"Nothing happened, Alex…I'm fine" I took her head between my hands to look into her sad eyes to assure her "There is nothing to regret…"

"I don't know what I would do if something bad…" I interrupted her words with a deep kiss that implored her not to say anything else, so when I broke the contact of our lips I saw the shadow of a smile lurking on her fleshy edges…

"What about _Charm_?" I asked softly, fearing to break the momentarily peaceful instant

"What about her?"

"You told me once that your magic was not meant to heal but, you healed her…" I said in awe "How was that possible?"

"I don't know…" I saw the conflict in her eyes "I don't know how I did it either…"

"Alex…" I had an idea forming in my mind, from the moment I observed how Charm had healed "Could it be possible that your magic is more than just… _dark magic_?"

"I don't think so…" She shook her head in denial "I think it was a thing of the moment…maybe because it was an animal…"

"Have you tried to heal someone before?" I inquired, wanting to get to the bottom of the subject

"Of course I have…and believe me, nothing good has resulted from those attempts" She said with some harshness that I overlooked and continued pressing for information…

"Maybe you have not known how to focus your magic…maybe you lacked some inducement" I thought of several reasons…

"That's not…"

"Imagine the possibilities Alex…this potential of yours, if you knew how to handle it…"

"It's not that simple Piper…"

"It's worth a try…" Why did she refuse so much to acknowledge the power she withheld?

"It's not a good idea…" Despite my words, her opinion remained fixed

"But you could save lives…" I couldn't understand how someone could refuse the possibility of doing _good…_

"I can't…" She continued denying stubbornly; it occurred to me that maybe she needed someone to believe in her

"Yes you can, I believe in you and I know you can do _better_ …" I stopped in the midst of my thoughtless sentence, realizing too late how bad it sounded

"Better?" She repeated with a hurt expression "I didn't know you were so interested in making me better…"

"No Alex…that's not what I meant…" I couldn't withdraw my previous words and I wanted to kick myself "I was referring to what you once told me about _dark_ magic and how it only served to do... _bad_ things…" I said softly and she observed me watchfully as she formulated the next question…

"Is that a problem for you?" All of her gestures were captured by a halo of vulnerability "That I serve the darkness?" To be honest, there were things about her duty that I did not like, but I had learned to separate the two facets of her… _The Warden_ , the dangerous, the mortal, the terrifying being that could be the nightmare of the bravest men on earth…and _Alex,_ the one who observed me in that moment with clear sorrowful eyes waiting for an answer, the one who exposed her soul only to me, the one who was not afraid to bow to me and please me in everything I asked…the tender, the soft and kind person that cared deeply about her people…the Alex that I had fallen in love with…

"That's the thing _Al_ …" I spoke with boundless love "I really believe that there is much more in you than just darkness…no matter how much you refuse to accept it, I can see it in your eyes" She seemed to consider my words for a moment to then ask me with curiosity…

"What do you see?" Her voice was a mere sigh, like she was afraid to muster the question…

" _Goodness..._ " I said as I leaned closer to her, to peek into her soul through her eyes " _Light…"_ I did not understand the struggle that I saw growing into her eyes. Her lips were drawn into a tight line and it seemed as if she was about to refute my words but our moment was interrupted by three loud knocks on the door… _Knock knock knock!..._ I jumped slightly startled by the disturbance and Alex turned her head towards the door…

"Who is it?" She asked with command, as unhappy as I was for the disruption

"Nicky…" We both sighed in synch "Can I come in?" Alex made a sound of exasperation and rolled her eyes a little more than necessary to glare at me with an annoyed expression, making me laugh profusely, so I had to muffle the breathy chortle against her neck, burying my face into her perfect skin. It was funny because Alex had already complained about Nicky's talent to appear in the most untimely circumstances, and I was about to share that theory...

"Sure" She said loudly "Why not?" And though I couldn't see her face, it was easy to picture her rolling her eyes again…I heard the squeal of the door and tried to compose myself before lifting my face to acknowledge our inopportune company; I did not bother to change my position from Alex's lap. To that point, Nicky had already seen us sharing all sorts of displays of affection…

"Am I interrupting something?" Nicky asked as she approached closer to our table, studying our intimate stance with a frown

"As a matter of fact…you are _always_ interrupting…" Alex said mordantly, which made me give her a slight slap on her shoulder with the back of my hand, to reproach her for her behavior towards her friend…

"No Nicky…" I said glaring at Alex to then focus my attention on Nicky "You are not interrupting anything" I assured her with a smile and she stuck out her tongue to Alex childishly and took a sit casually and began to serve herself breakfast…

"Yes please…joins us for breakfast" Alex said sarcastically just as Nicky had her mouth already full with food…

"You are not going to eat all this…and I have not had breakfast yet" Nicky spoke almost spitting little chunks of her chewed bun, and I sensed Alex growing tense underneath me with the sight of Nicky's manners. Only I could imagine her containing her desire to teach Nicky some table etiquette, but somehow she refrained from doing so, maybe finally accepting that it was a lost battle…

"And why have you not eaten in the kitchen?" Alex asked maybe a little incisive

"Alex!" I hissed at her, although Nicky did not seem offended by the harsh question as she snorted heavily to then say…

"No thank you…I'll stay very far from the kitchen…"

"Why?" That time I was the one to ask

"I'm…avoiding Lorna…"

"Why?" Alex and I voiced in unison…

"I don't know…she's been acting _weird_ " I exchanged a look with Alex…

"Weird how?" I wanted to dig deeper…

"Like… _distant_. Every time I approach her, she behaves evasively…" Obviously Lorna had not talked to Nicky yet about her feelings…

"You should talk to her…" Alex said tenderly to her friend, probably thinking the same as me…

"I guess…I have not had many opportunities to talk to her either…yesterday she spent the day with her parents before I accompanied them back to the border. Then, when we got back to the castle I tried to talk to her but she just told me that she was tired and that she wanted to go to bed…" She fed us with the events of the previous day "I'm afraid she's starting to regret coming to the Shadow Lands with me…"

"Nicky…I don't think she regrets coming here with you…" I assured her and I could feel Alex pinching me gently as a warning for me not to give her false hopes, but I ignored the gesture "I think it's a big change for anybody, and she needs some time to adapt…right Alex?"

"Probably…" She said reluctantly "Nevertheless…it would be better if you talk to her…only she can answer your questions" Nicky nodded slowly, grasping Alex's words…

"I'll talk to her…but not…not today" She agreed accepting what had to be done

"Whenever you are ready…" I couldn't help the warm sensation that spread from my heart when seeing Alex being so tender with Nicky "So Lorna's parents are already back in the village…" She continued talking casually slightly changing the subject

"Yeah…they wanted to thank you in person for your hospitality but it was getting late...and by the way, why did you take so long?"

"We found problems on the way back…" Alex's voice grew shadowy

"What happened?" Nicky asked with concern

"A _damned_ creature…It got in our way out of control and…it attacked us"

"What?" Nicky was aghast with the information "But how did that even happen? That's impossible!"

"But it happened Nicky…that beast was completely deranged" I had witnessed the rage of the beast; the hair of my arms stood on end with the memory "In fact, I was going to find you after breakfast to talk to you about something…"

"You will say" Nicky waited attentively

"I want you to organize several groups to hunt down those beasts…"

"Hunt down?" Nicky repeated to comprehend "Alex…those creatures safeguard these lands…without them, anyone could enter at ease..."

"I don't care…I want them dead at all costs…"

"But imagine the risks" Nicky said with urgency

"Risks?" I interfered, without knowing that there would be risks

"That thing could have killed Piper, Nicky! I don't give a damn about the risks…!" Alex spoke with harshness completely ignoring my question…

"What risks?" That time I inquired with a tone of demand, forcing Alex to look at me and answer me

"It's not a big deal Piper…" She tried to dismiss my concerns, but it was futile…

"Yeah…not a big deal…" Nicky spoke ironically "It would only mean free passage to anyone who wants to come to end with darkness in a stupid yet heroic act"

"End with darkness?" I wondered as my heart raced fiercely and the palms of my hands sweated cold…

"Kill the Warden and take away its power…" Nicky retorted coolly

"No…" I felt my heart dropping to my stomach "Then we can't leave the woods unprotected…" I realized "Alex…you can't kill those creatures if they are so important for your protection"

"You are both forgetting that my heart, my _only_ weak point, is perfectly protected against _anyone…_ there is no person in this world who can reach it to destroy it" Alex said calmly, her tone was almost bored and it bothered me her serene manner when talking about her own life so unconcerned…

"And you forget that what you are saying is actually wrong…" I wanted to show her that there was a flaw in her plan "It is not protected against _anyone_ …it is not protected against _me_ …" I remembered the time she took me to the tower and told me that I was the only one who could trespass the door protected with dark magic. She raised her eyebrows with amusement

"Are you planning to hurt my heart?" She asked with entertainment

"Alex…this is serious" _Why did she take it as a joke?_ "If _I_ can get to it, are you completely sure that nobody else can?"

"I'm completely sure Pipes…" She adopted a serious appearance "And I assure you that even without those beasts, no one will be able to reach me and hurt me…what does worry me is that those beasts lose control again and hurt some of _you_ …" She directed her words to Nicky and me… "So this issue is settled…it will be done as I say with or without your consent…" I could see how Nicky did not like that at all; I glanced at her with pleading eyes, so she would help me to make Alex come to her senses; however she gave me a sad smile and shook her head almost unnoticeably

"I will do as you ask…but that does not mean that I agree with this madness…" _Traitor…_ I thought with disappointment and rewarded her with a sullen gaze, to which she replied with a silent _sorry_ and a grimace of apology…

"I could not expect less from you…" They continued to exchange words while my entire body feared with the decision after what Nicky had said "If it's not much to ask, I'd like you to start working on that today…and don't even think about going into the woods with the hunters…you'll stay right here"

"Awwww…what's the fun in that?" Nicky complained

"Nicky…" Alex caught her attention with warning tone…

"You are such a downer…"

"I suppose there's nothing I can do or say to make you change your mind…" I said defeated, watching her eyes closely from above and clinging to any trace of hope…

"Pipes…you don't have to worry about anything" And I wanted to believe her so badly…

"Swear to me…"

"I swear…" She could swear a thousand times and there would still be the unpleasant feeling in my body that nothing good would turn out of the whole situation…

"Piper…I like this as little as you do…but if Alex says it is fine, then it will be fine" Strangely, I found comfort in Nicky's words…

"See? Nothing to worry about…" Alex reassured me one more time, and pressed her lips on my cheek to smack an ample kiss on me…

"So…what happened when the beast attacked you?" Nicky resumed the initial thread of the conversation…

"Everything happened so fast" I was the one to speak "My horse got scared and I fell from it…fortunately, Alex caught me in the middle of the fall and then pinned me against the ground to protect me with her own body…" I related the events as best as I could "She then confronted the beast face to face until it gave in completely and Alex drew her knife to kill it…" I finished saying feeling proud of Alex's courage for having faced the beast in an attempt to protect me…

"Wait…Alex, why would you do that?" Nicky wondered bewildered at Alex

"What?"

"Why did you face the beast instead of simply disappearing with Piper?" Only then I thought about it. It had not occurred to me before that she could have vanished with me from the place instead of facing the monster. I also nailed my curious look on her waiting for an answer…

"I…I don't know" Alex hesitated dodging ours inquisitive looks… "I suppose I was so surprised that I was not thinking clearly…"

"You did not think about it?" Nicky's question was charged with doubt "Disappearing is as natural to you as breathing is for us…I have never forgotten how to breathe…"

"I repeat that I don't know what happened…" The coolness in her voice took me out of guard and made my blood froze "And I don't want to discuss this anymore…let's drop the subject once and for all" Nicky and I shared a look of concern, but neither of us dared to mention anything else and we resumed our breakfast...

The subject of what had happened was left behind. I never understood Alex's reluctance to speak about it, and against my desires to comprehend and clear up so many doubts that had arisen within me before the bizarre events, I did not ask any more questions from then on. The hunting parties were organized that same day. It took them over a month to exterminate until the last creature. Alex knew exactly how many beasts roamed the woods, so she remained tense and moody all those days and was not happy until they brought her the head of the last one, the number _286_. But even when all that matter was over, it was easy to perceive that she was never again the same, and fear gnawed at my soul to think that the death of those creatures had caused an irreversible change in her being. Even so, I was never so determined to love her, to stay by her side during her darkest facet, certain that her soul would still harbor the light that I knew existed in her, certain that there was always a light, even in the darkest places...


	48. Chapter 48

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello people! I hope everything goes well with all of you...As promised, here it is, a new chapter fresh out of the oven. As always, I hope you like it and thank you so much for reading and following this story; you are cimply the best. Love you! And have a nice weekend! ;)

 **CHAPTER XLVIII (Alex's POV)**

 _You are a complete fool…you have no idea what this will mean to us…_ The voice did not stop saying as a group of men put at my feet the first heads of the beasts killed during the first week of hunting…

"How many?" I asked coldly to the one in charge of the hunting party, without bothering to count the chunks of meat before me, although I knew the number would be scarce...

" _Nineteen,_ My Lady…" The man said with determination. He had probably counted them several times so as not to make a mistake…

"Just nineteen?" I expected those men to be able to kill more "You are one hundred men and you have had a whole damn week!" I almost lost my temper

"It's not as simple My Lady…" The nervous guard fidgeted with his hat between his hands "It takes eight of us to shoot down one beast…and I've already lost fourteen of my men"

" _My_ men…you mean" I stressed out, reminding him that he was not in charge of anything in that place…

"Pardon me My Lady…" The man bowed his head and didn't dare to lift his face again as he spoke "We know to _whom_ we belong…but you put me in charge of the hunt and out there in the woods, I'm responsible of those men…" I tried to put myself on his shoes; those beasts were indeed hard to kill. I had been able to do it easily only after I was capable of controlling its mind to make it submissive. I considered the current situation for a while, as the man stood awkwardly in front of me waiting for an order. At that rate, it was going to take months to kill them all, considering that there were almost three hundred animals out in the woods…

"I'll go with you and take care of this with my own hands, since apparently you are all useless…I want this to be over as soon as possible…" I said tiredly. I had wanted to join them since the first day, but Piper begged me to stay with her "Go find forty more men among the prisoners…" I instructed "Look for men with minor crimes and tell them they will be acquitted of them and will be assigned a position within my personal guard" That was the highest rank to which a man could aspire in the Shadow Lands, and thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that it would be probably prudent to increase security in the outskirts of the castle; Nicky had a point when she spoke of the risks of killing those creatures that kept the woods free of unwanted people…

"As you order, My Lady" The man gave me a reverence and put on his hat "I'll be back immediately with the forty men…"

"No…" I stopped him "Go to the mines and tell a guard to help you get the men, then you should go and get some rest tonight...I ordered to bring a fine dinner to the barracks, so enjoy the evening and be ready for tomorrow…" I offered nicely. After all it was not a good idea to exhaust those men…

"You are very kind My Lady" The guard thanked me with a face of relief as he was truly thankful for the break

"I'll meet you here, first thing in the morning…" I informed him and dismissed him formally with a gesture of my hand. I stayed in the courtyard watching how the rest of the men were informed about the new plan as they began to pick up their arms and clean the pile of severed heads two meters from my feet…

 _You are out of your mind Alex…this will only make me weaker…_

"Then it will be worth it…" I voiced bitterly…

 _Remember that we are together in this…to attempt against me is to attempt against yourself…_

"And you attempted against Piper and _that_ I will not allow…even if it means my own end"

"Who are you talking to?" I did not hear Nicky approaching with the rumble of the men in the courtyard…

"Nobody…" I said vaguely without turning my face to see her

"Alex…" She said with concern and stood in front of me, forcing me to look at her "What are you not telling me?" And that's why I did not want to see her face, because even though I was an expert in the art of deception, there were few things I could hide from Nicky "Is it the voice?" The problem was that she knew too much about me, and she of course knew perfectly well that the darkness inside me had its own voice…

"The darkness thinks that this is a mistake…" I agreed to give her something. I was still mulling about how I could explain _everything_ to her…I did not feel ready for that conversation, at least until solving some issues, like killing all the beasts…

"I know you will not like it, but for once, I have to agree with that damn voice…"

 _See? Your friend Nicky is a smart girl…_

"Shut up…" I said through a clenched jaw. Nicky furrowed her eyebrows understanding that _that_ was not with her "Is driving me crazy Nicky…I can't silence it…"

"Well, you are literally _stabbing_ _it_ Alex by killing these monsters…" She said whilst pointing a finger towards the heads that remained on the ground "You are still in time to stop this, you know?" She finished with pleading eyes

"No I can't…you don't understand…" I denied shaking my head with resolve. I couldn't stop; under no circumstances could I allow them to attack Piper again…

"Then fucking explain it to me!" She demanded grabbing me firmly by my shoulders "Why are you so determined to kill the beasts?" _To tell or not tell…_ I thought; _How could I not tell Nicky?_ But I was so afraid to share my fears with her…

"Not here…" I observed my surroundings with apprehension "Come on…let's go…" I took her and disappeared to her room…

"And?" Nicky pressed for me to talk as I tried to organize my ideas as best as I could.

"Remember that I told you that the beast had attacked _us_ the other day…" She nodded listening carefully "The truth is that, the creature was actually aiming at… _Piper_ …" I swallowed hard after saying her name…

"Aiming?" Nicky was extremely puzzled "How are you so sure about it? It could not have been a simple coincidence?"

"No Nicky, I'm telling you…I had never seen a creature so out of it and yet so determined…its eyes were fixed right on her"

"But…she should not be a target…" My words did not make sense to her…

"That's the problem Nicky…she _is_ a target" I explained cringing at my own words " _Darkness_ is not fond of her…"

"Oh fuck…" She breathed out with despair " _Oh fuck!"_ And repeated, as if putting all the pieces together "Since when?"

"From the very beginning, since she came to this place, darkness has been suggesting me to get rid of her…" Even before knowing that Piper was the _light_ that would put an end to darkness, the voice had already warned me that she would cause troubles…I wondered if the darkness had somehow foreseen what was going to happen or probably it sensed Piper's magic before actually being aware of it...

"But I don't get it…why would _it_ do that?"

"Because…" _Because she is killing me, because she is meant to ruin me_ "...she makes me _feel…_ she makes me _weak_ …" I said grimly in the end. Nicky seemed to be wrapping her mind around the information I had just given her and for a moment we said nothing until she broke the silence eventually…

"You mean… _love_ weakens you…" She said, not as a question but with a hint of realization "Now it all makes sense…"

"What makes sense?" I asked knitting my eyebrows together in puzzlement

"You've changed Alex, since she came to this place you have become someone more benevolent, compassionate and you seem so… _happy_ " She spoke with admiration, as if proud of me. If she only knew that I had been taking lives away without justification to strengthen myself, what would she think of me? "Is that what the darkness does not approve of? _Love?_ " I was grateful that she alone came to that conclusion that I could use temporarily as an excuse, since I was not ready to tell her the whole truth, so I nodded solemnly "Then tell darkness to kiss my ass…"

 _Why don't you tell her that she is killing you? That she is hurting you? What are you afraid of Alex? That Nicky decides to do what you haven't been able to do?_

" _Arrrrghhhh_ …" I growled to silence the words in my head

"It did not like about kissing my ass, uh?" Nicky half-joked

"I don't know what to do Nicky…" I said hopelessly "I'm afraid of losing control again… _around her_ "

"Losing control?" Nicky inquired

"The day of the attack I wasn't able to control the beast…"

"But that won't be a problem once they are all dead…right?" At least she seemed to have changed her mind about exterminating the creatures…

"It's not just about the beasts Nicky…that day I lost control over my powers too…" I recognized at last

"Is that why you couldn't disappear to take Piper away from there?" She finally got to the bottom of the problem…

"Exactly…"

"What about now?" She asked quizzically "Are you in control?"

"Yes I am…but I'm afraid it will happen again…"

"No Alex…it won't happen again" Nicky said resolute "You will be more careful now that you know…" I wanted her words to be true more than anything in the world

"I hope you are right, because I couldn't live with myself if something bad happened to Piper because of me…"

"Nothing bad is going to happen to her and you can't live thinking like that, and definitely the solution it is not pushing her away from you either…like you've been doing for the last week" I looked at her perplexed since I did not know what she was talking about "Yeah…I talked to her earlier; she's worried about you Alex and you keep shutting her down every time she tries to talk to you" I thought about it and maybe she had a point…

"I'm trying to steer her away from _all_ this madness…it's for her own good"

"I'm not an expert when it comes to relationships but…I really don't think that keeping her in ignorance is the proper thing to do here…" She reproached me "You will only make her to distance herself from you…"

"Maybe that's the smartest thing to do…to keep her away from me in order to keep her safe" I retorted feeling a vast sadness invading my insides

"For my mental health's sake, _please_ tell me you are not saying _that_ seriously. Because if you are, then I guess you are more idiotic than I would have ever imagined…" She glared at me really annoyed "She's already hurt Alex with your inexplicable mood changes of these past days…"

"I've been dealing with a lot of things lately Nicky…as you have been able to see…" I was perfectly aware of my moody state, but I had not stopped to think about how it was affecting Piper

"This morning you exploded only because she had gone with Lorna to look for some food in the pantry to help Red in the kitchen" The pantry was a medium structure built to keep the victuals well preserved, and it was inconveniently close to the pigsties...

"I told her _specifically_ that I did not want her near the pigsties…" I shut up immediately noticing that I had giving her too much information mentioning the pigsties, and tried to fix my mistake "I told her to stay inside the castle when I'm not around while the problem of the beasts is not over" Maybe I had been too rough with her that morning, but why was it so hard for her to obey my simple orders? I needed her to be extra careful until all the chaos ceased…

"You don't want her to know what you did to Sylvie, am I wrong?" I couldn't help to shoot at her a look of shock; _How did she know that?_ "Don't look at me like that Alex…I just had to put two and two together" She said as if she had heard my internal question "A few days ago she asked me if I knew anything about Sylvie…I went to the pigsties and when I did not see her around… _well_ …I did not need to ask"

"I had no choice…" I began saying defensively "Piper told me what happened the day she had tried to escape, and although she did not mention Sylvie, I knew she was the one to blame. She told her all those lies in order to terrify her, what finally made her make the decision to escape…" I defended my acts…

"I'm not asking you to justify what you did. I understand your reasons and you know that I have never judged you for fulfilling your duties. Sylvie had that coming…if you ask me…" Her look told me that she really did not judge me for killing Sylvie "The problem is…what will you do when she finds out? What do you think will bother her more? What you did or that you lied about it?"

"She made me promise that I would not punish Sylvie for what she had done…" Of course it would be worse when she knew that I had lied blatantly to her…

"Then you know the answer…" Nicky said sympathetically

"Please Nicky…she can't know about it…" I urged

"I know…and I will not be the one to tell her, but I warn you…I think deep down she already knows; she's just looking for a confirmation" I knew _that_ too…

"Thank you…" I said after taking a deep breath

"You don't have to thank me you idiot…" She said rolling her eyes "Just go with Piper and fix things with her…"

"I won't be able to do that tonight" I snorted

"Why?"

"Because…I'll have to tell her that I've decided to join the hunting group" I took advantage of the moment to also let Nicky know about it…

"You what!?" She exclaimed clearly mad at me; it was exactly the reaction I was expecting from her…

"Listen…" I tried to appease her altered state "It will be faster if I go with them. I can locate the beasts easily, I can attract them to me and control them so that they are easier to hunt…" I reasoned

"She won't be happy about it. I'm not either, but I know there's nothing I can say or do to take away that moronic idea from your head" She admonished me really pissed off "Good luck with Piper by the way…" She smiled at me sardonically, indicating that our conversation was over

"Nicky…" I said with pleading voice. I did not like her look of disappointment…

"Go talk to her…I've had enough" She did not even look at me in the eyes and I turned around to walk away from her "Next time…" She began saying from behind and I stopped without facing her to listen whatever she was about to say "Don't wait so long to let me know if there's trouble; you don't have to carry all these problems by yourself…talk to me Alex, whatever it is"

"I will…" I promised emptily over my shoulder, not willing to face her and disappeared, embracing myself for the next encounter…

I knew she would be in our room at those hours of the night, so without further delay, that's where I headed. I observed the dirty dishes on the table and knew that she had already eaten dinner. I felt terribly guilty for having her so abandoned during those last days. She was not in sight, but I quickly heard the noise coming from the bathroom, to where I walked calmly. She did not perceive my presence while drying her glowing wet body with the towel. I stayed mesmerized with the beautiful sight until she turned around and gasped in shock when seeing me. The moment made me recall a similar situation making me smile fondly at the memory of having found her in the same circumstances some time ago…

"Some people say that it's not good to bathe after eating…" I told her but I got no response from her. She simply ignored me and continued drying her body to put on her robe. Her silence hurt me "I can't believe you did not wait for me to bathe together" I scolded her keeping a light tone, in a playful manner…

"It's late…and I got tired of waiting for you…" She said accusingly and walked out of the bathroom passing by my side hastily. I followed her to the room and stopped her by grabbing her arm gently to spin her around

"Hey…" I said softly; she shook her arm to get rid of my grip, but I reinforced my hold on her by walking closer to her and holding her by both arms. She did not resist that time but she kept her face ducked to one side avoid my gaze "I'm sorry, alright?" I told her with all my being, really meaning it "I'm sorry…" I repeated in a whisper and released her from my clutch, giving her the freedom to turn around and ignore me in case she wanted, but she remained stood in front of me...it took her a long time to finally lift her face to see me

"You've used that word a lot lately… _sorry_ " She began saying somberly "It's starting to lose its meaning…"

"Pipes…" Her name slipped as a plea "I know I've been acting… _strangely_ …"

"That's an understatement…" She snorted with irony. Her anger felt like a dagger in my chest…

"There are a lot of things going on right now…" I said with gravity "I need you to be patient…until all this is over"

"Patient?" She retorted in disbelief "Oh I can be patient Alex…and I have been beyond patient, but today you've crumbled that patience to the ground when you snapped at me and yelled at me like I was a little girl in front of everyone in the kitchen for having gone to do Red a favor!" I cursed my bad temper more than anything in the world "Do you know how embarrassing and hurtful that moment was for me?"

"I can only imagine it…and you don't know how sorry I am for what I did; I was very upset and you know how hard it is for me to control my anger sometimes…" I said, even though I perfectly knew that I had no excuses for treating her like I had done

"Well…you better start learning to control it around me, Alex…" Her choice of words could not have been more appropriate. Not only was my temper what I had to control…

"I know, I know…and I will. What I did is unforgivable and unjustifiable but…If you could only understand why I got so angry…" I began but she interrupted me…

"If you want me to understand, first you'll have to explain it to me…" She begged leaving behind her anger to replace it with concern. I got closer to her and seized her face tenderly with my hands

"When I told you that I _need_ you to stay inside the castle when I'm not around, I was not just saying that Piper…I need you to do it because I need to know that you are safe when I'm not by your side…" I said with urgency for her to grasp

"Safe from what?" She softened her tone substantially

"The situation out there is chaotic…there are groups of armed men coming and going at their ease…" I explained vaguely; _that_ of course was one of my concerns, although not the most important "I need you to trust me and do what I ask of you, please?" I waited anxiously for a positive answer as her gestures display the most diverse sentiments, until she finally spoke with a sad expression that would haunt me for the rest of my days…

"See…you keep asking me to trust you, however…you fail to give me valid reasons to do it" My hands fell numb from her face; I was struck by her words "You are not telling me the whole truth Alex, and that makes me distrustful" I observed her closely and what made it all worse was her empty gesture. I had disappointed her so much, that it seemed like she no longer cared anymore. She turned around and walked away from me towards the bed to strip off her robe and put on her sleeping attire, while I stayed in the same place paralyzed without knowing what else to say; I did not have the moral to refute her accusations. Four knocks on the door snapped me out of my deaden state "Must be someone of the service staff to clean the table…" Piper pointed out

"Tell her to come back later…we have not finished talking"

"I think there's nothing left to talk about…" She replied tiredly and then raised her voice to order the girl from the service to enter "Come in!" It angered me that she completely ignored my wishes. The girl opened the door and walked in, but stopped short when I ordered her to leave us alone

"No!" I said with a voice of command pointing at her "Leave us alone…"

"I'm sorry My Lady…" The girl said taken aback and began to walk backwards

"No Tiffany…stay" Piper intervened disavowing me "Please, come in and clean the table, if you are so kind" She said with her characteristic sweetness, what encouraged the girl to follow her orders instead of mine. That angered me utterly, but for the moment, I decided to stay put and let the girl do her job "Alex…you will want to ask her for more hot water if you are going to take a bath…the water is already cold" Piper said disregarding my tense behavior…

"That won't be necessary" I spoke trying to sound self-possessed despite my awfully clenched jaw. Only then she seemed to perceive my anger, and she decided not to say anything else as we both waited for the girl to finish cleaning the table awkwardly "You…" I called the girl's attention just as she was about to leave the room with the tray loaded with the used tableware

"Yes My lady?" She said trembling, not daring to see me

"I don't want to see you again on this side of the castle…and I want you far away from Piper" I delivered menacingly

"Alex…" Piper hissed at me truly distressed

"Understood?" But I did not divert my attention from that girl…

"Of course, My Lady" She managed to say above her faltering voice and by some miracle she kept the balance of the tray she was carrying in her hands as she turned around to flee out of the room

"What is the matter with you?" Piper asked me harshly, a rare quality in her…

"What is the matter with you!?" I retorted pissed off increasing the tone of my voice "I told you once that I did not like that girl…and you promised to keep her away from you"

"Oh _pleaaase_ …you have to stop that!" She said surprisingly loud, taking her hands to her head. It was not like her to raise her voice so much…

"Stop what?"

"Stop wanting to control everything Alex!" She exclaimed in frustration and made a long pause to then dropping her voice significantly "Stop wanting to control me…" She barely sighed and it was almost hard for me to hear her after having being so thunderous

"I'm just trying to protect you!" I exclaimed, hurt by her words. My intentions had never been to control her, quite the opposite. I always wanted to give her the freedom she never enjoyed in her other life "Everything I do the whole damn day and night is to think about protecting you…about keeping you safe of the dangers that you are incapable to perceive…" Her gestures became soft and tender as she took a gulp of air before walking to get closer to me steadily. She stopped right in front of me to seize my whole being with her azure eyes…

"I know that there are things that I'm too naïve to realize…and I know that your knowledge of the world and of the human nature are much wider than mine" She spoke calmly, not wanting more confrontation "But I think that you are being a little paranoid, Alex…and I'm starting to worry about you"

"I'm not being paranoid Piper…" I wished she was right

"You make these drastic decisions when there is no need to do it…like killing those creatures; threatening the service girl to stay away from me without a real motive; asking me not to leave the castle and…" She recited and froze at the end of her talking as to avoid saying something she should not say…

"And?" I encouraged her to go on

"Nothing…" She disregarded with a tired expression passing her hand over her forehead "There are a lot of things…" And I still had to tell her about my decision to go kill the beasts by myself…

"I'm joining the hunting group…" I said quickly and directly all of a sudden, since there was no better way to tell her; however, I kept my eyes down to avoid her gaze…she laughed unhappily, a weak and subtle sound that resembled more a heavy breath than a real laugh. She didn't say anything for some seconds, as she simply took a step back away from me…

"Thanks for letting me know…I guess" Her voice was imbibed with sarcasm and I was a little annoyed by her disdainful tone. I looked up to see the sadness in her eyes…

"If I go with them this will be over sooner…"

"I have not asked for an explanation Alex…" She discarded my attempt to explain myself "You won't get my approval no matter what you say, and in the end you'll do whatever you want even above my wishes, since you've only came to let me know about your decision and not to ask for my opinion, which I know it is worthless to you, is not that correct?" She was right to be mad at me; nevertheless, I was still wounded up by her way of speaking to me, so unusual in her. I did not like it at all…

"I do care about your opinion, Piper…I had never cared about someone's opinion as much as I care about yours" And it was the truth, why she couldn't see how much I valued all of her? "But in this specific matter I have no choice but to do what I have to do…" I finished saying and we locked our eyes for an infinite moment until hers were flooded with tears. She lowered her face to hide her watery eyes from me. I approached her cautiously, not sure if my closeness would be appreciated by her in that moment; as soon as I was within her reach she threw her arms around my neck and held me ever so fervently…

"I feel you so far away…" She breathed out shakily clinging to my neck with all her might "And I hate it…" And how much I hated to make her feel that way. I returned the embrace, snaring her waist with my arms…

"I'm not far away Pipes…I'm right here" My voice came out croakily; pain would not let me speak clearly. I felt her loosening her grip around my neck to step back a little to face me…

"No, you are not…" Her eyes shone with a painful beauty caused by her tears "You've been absent for days… _unreachable_ " I understood what she meant. She was not talking about me only being physically absent; she was also referring to my self-absorption...I had neglected her in every sense...

"I've got so many things in my mind right now…" And on top of all, my internal conflict with the damn voice that kept me lost in thought all the time "I'm sorry I've made you feel this way…I did not realize I was hurting you" I brushed away the trail of wetness left on her cheeks by the fall of her tears with my thumbs and caressed the soft skin soothingly "I promise you that once the matter of the beasts is over, everything will go back to normal…" Could I really promise that? "In the mean time I will be more thoughtful with you. I will come home every night to be with you…and you can always call me whenever you need me" She did not seem appeased with my words "I need to do this Piper…I have to do it myself" She saw me through her glassy blue eyes and nodded in acceptance…

"Will you be careful?" She asked quietly

"You know that there's nothing to worry about" I tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear as I said

"Still…it calms me to hear you saying it" She lowered her face with diffidence, as if she thought her statement was lame. I forced her to look up by placing my index finger under her chin and smiled fondly at her…

"In that case…I will be careful" I guaranteed her and, as we immersed in each other's look, I could see the foundation of reconciliation in her clear eyes that evoked the most beautiful feelings in me…

"I don't like to fight with you and I don't want it to happen again…" She said puckering her lips and I smiled fondly at her, overwhelmed by her cuteness

"I don't like it either Pipes…however…" I allowed myself to get closer to her "…I like it when you speak your mind and confront me to remind me when I am behaving like an imbecile…" She laughed softly at my admission, placing her hands against my chest and spoke teasingly

"I'll remind you as many times as necessary" Then I was the one who laughed animatedly, knowing I was forgiven for my stupidities, even so I said it again…

"I'm really sorry…for everything…" Her body was open when I little by little encircled her waist with my arms, to gently bring her closer against me "I sincerely believe that I don't deserve your understanding, or your kindness, or…your love" She shook her head quickly disapproving my words

"Let me be the one to decide that…" She said appeasing my repentance and rewarded me with a kiss full of adoration. I noticed the glimpse of a beam on her lips after she broke the kiss "Do you have to go somewhere?" She inquired tentatively raising her eyebrows very subtly

"No…I don't" I responded to explain "I'll leave early in the morning"

"Does that mean you are free of duties for tonight?" She wondered casually whilst her hands crawled up my chest to end up entwined behind my neck, but I picked out her real motives from the slight blushing that was beginning to creep all over her face…

"That depends…" I dropped my voice to its lowest register

"On?"

"On whether you have a duty in mind for me" I said with a roguish smile very sure of her interest.

She was so easy to read in that sense. In other situations, I always found it hard to know exactly what was going through her mind, but regarding her sexual appetite, her body was an open book and I could not wait to read it avidly every time she invited me so blatantly to open it. By mutual and silent agreement, our entangled bodies fell on accord on the bed and I provided her with all the adoration that I kept only for her. Sex with her was staggering, _always_ …but what an exquisite discovery I had just made to know that it could actually get better than it already was…perhaps the mood of reconciliation had something to do with the way she gave herself to me that night as well as the way she took me in. She left me spent, on the verge of faintness.

Before dawn, my palpable weakness forced me to pay a visit to the cells to settle my needs before joining the hunt; a visit that would become recurrent in the following days. I had discovered as the days went by, that not only Piper's powers damaged me, but that as the number of beasts decreased, my strength also went downward. I ended up immersed in a chaotic cycle, where with each passing day I felt weaker, leading me to require more and more deaths. But even the calm that those provided me was ephemeral, ineffectual; the celerity of my weakening process could not be counteracted by the lives of the prisoners. For the first time, since I had learnt about my destiny, I truly grasped that my end was imminent and that I could not escape from it. Even so, I did not give up the brief respite that the cells contained encaged for me, becoming a priority for me. The whole situation led me to lie more frequently until it became a habit, so effortless as walking, as breathing, as _killing_ …but of course, the carelessness caused by my growing obsession to visit the cells, sooner or later would lead me to make a mistake, especially because I was completely unaware that someone was watching me very closely. A couple of weeks after I had joined the hunt, Nicky waited for me in the stables to inform me that there was something she had to discuss with me…

"How has the day gone?" She asked me as I got off the horse…

"Excellent…" I told her "There are fewer creatures left in the woods…at this rate, we will be able to exterminate them all in a week…"

"Can we talk?" She asked suddenly. Her frown caught my attention

"Piper will be waiting for me for dinner…is it important?"

"Yes, it is…" She said soberly, a rather unusual facet of hers

"Alright…what is it?" I asked her apprehensively, sensing her own unease. She eyed our surroundings and walked to a less crowded area of the stables. I followed her without uttering a single word and waited for her to talk…I raised an eyebrow at her before her silence until she finally decided to speak…

"I saw something weird last night…" She said enigmatic

"Weird?" I inquired in surprise

"Last night I was having a hard time to go to sleep…so I decided to go for a walk…" She began "I was actually wandering without a specific course in mind, and I unintentionally got very close to the cells of darkness and…" My insides cringed at her words. She lowered her voice and got closer to me to be heard by me "I saw Piscatella leading behind him a line of chained men…they would be about ten prisoners, it was really dark so I could not see very well how many they were…" I did my best to keep a serene gesture…

"What's so weird about that?" I asked flippantly, downplaying her finding…

"He is supposed to inform me about the transfer of prisoners…" She retorted quite pissed off

"Surely he did not think it would be necessary to inform you about it in the middle of the night…" I made use of logic

"Yeah…surely…" However, she did not find the logic in my possible explanation "The thing is that I expected him to do it today, but he didn't…"

"So you have not talked to him?" I asked her as if barely interested in the matter. I'd better talk to him first to warn him that Nicky had caught him bringing prisoners to the cells…

"No, in fact…I _did_ talk to him…" I froze at that and tried to hid my shock

"What did he say?" But I was having a hard time faking tranquility

"He played dumb when I confronted him about the subject…" She scoffed bitterly "He ignored the matter and paid no attention to my demands to know what the hell was he doing transferring those prisoners to the cells of darkness without my consent and in the middle of the night as if not to be seen"

She was utterly annoyed, and I understood her anger because in my absence, she was supposed to be the highest authority and she had my full support in whatever decision she took. Each one of my servants owed her the same respect that they owed me. In other circumstances, Piscatella would have to pay his insolence with an exemplary punishment…but Piscatella only challenged Nicky's authority to protect my secret; I could not punish him for it.

"I know him Nicky, there'll be certainly an explanation...I'll have a serious conversation with him tomorrow" I shrugged it off

"I don't know if there'll be a proper explanation" She shook her head "I've thought a lot about it and…it occurred to me that, it was too much of a coincidence to caught him red-handed at the _exact_ moment…" She continued talking before my worried state, waiting for her to accuse me directly at any moment "Which led me to wonder…How many times had he done it without being seen?" She asked rhetorically

"Uh…" I feigned real perplexity "That's…definitely something to be considered…" I said as if troubled by all the information

"I already took it into consideration, Alex…" She spoke with a sly tone that did not suit her

"What do you mean?" I wondered as she reached for something on her back and unrolled in front of me several yellowed pages to hand them to me "What is this?"

"Is the prisoner's registry" She explained "I've spent all day in the mines updating it, doing a recount. I found out that seventy four men are missing…" _Seventy four…Seventy four…_ the number bounced in my head. I had stopped counting the ripped hearts some days ago. Nicky continued talking oblivious to my culpability "There is no record of accidental deaths…diseases…punishments for disobedience or anything that can justify their transfer to the cells…there's _nothing…_ they simply disappeared and I know that Piscatella is behind this"

"You cannot know that…" I needed to divert her presumptions to steer her away from finding the truth "Did not it occur to you that those men could have escaped?"

"Impossible" She sentenced "After the last escape, the security in the mines is impossible to dodge" I had taking care of doubling security myself

"What are you implying, Nicky? That somehow Piscatella has managed to evade security in the mines, and extract prisoners to cross them all the way to the cells without being seen?" I said in a disbelieving manner, to ridicule her suspicions. All I got from her was a dry laughter, like she was laughing at a dull joke

"I'm not implying that Piscatella mocked the security…I've already made it clear how impossible that would be" I began to tense, to feel cornered; I observed in her eyes the shadow of doubt, directed towards me "I've only brought out how strange everything is, don't you think?" I didn't answer but I glared at her dropping my unruffled pretense, inviting her to do the same, as I had already grasped what was going through her mind. She already knew that I was involved in all that "In the end, you and I know that Piscatella, despite being a complete asshole, he is not prone to breaking the rules, and if he were to mock security, he would do it only because he is _authorized_ to do so" She dissected her argument "You would come to think that he deliberately did what he did because he knew for sure that he was not going to be punished"

"Why don't you cut the crap and ask me what you've been wanting to ask from the moment this conversation started…" I said sharply, daring her to voice her real thoughts, but she didn't even flinch a bit at my harsh words. Rather, she observed me closely with a blank expression…

"No…I've got nothing to ask you Alex, because somehow I have the feeling that I won't like to know the answers" No, surely she would not like to know "If there is one thing I can ask you, it would be… _who the hell are you?_ " I pondered her question for some seconds

"It's me Nicky…I am who I have always been…" I stated somberly, and she scrutinized me intently, in an attempt to respond her own question…

"No you are not…" She snapped and released a sniffing sound of disgust. She turned around and began walking away from me hastily

"Nicky!" I yelled her to stop, and she did, but she kept her back to me. I wanted to tell her so many things, I wanted to apologize for having disappointed her and I wished to explain her everything that was happening but words got stuck in the back of my throat and the only thing I managed to utter was my biggest fear "Piper cannot know about this…" I saw her shoulders hunching, like she was carrying the weight of disillusion on her back. She took a moment to think about it and spun around to face me without getting close to me…

"And I do not plan to tell her…although I will not do it for you, but for her" She finished sourly and left, leaving me buried under a mountain of shame and regret, aware of the undeniably truth that she had raised with her question… _Who the hell are you?..._ As the days had passed, I had distanced myself from my own persona, I had become a cold and calculating creature, willing to do whatever it took to delay my fate, hurting those who I cared the most about in the process of coming to terms with my own demise…


	49. Chapter 49

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello beautiful people! So here it is, a new chapter...this was a hard one, but I hope you like it. As always, thank you very much for your support and for reading. Love you! Enjoy!

 **CHAPTER XLIX (Piper's POV)**

Those days were extremely difficult to cope with. I had clung blindly to her promise that everything would end soon and go back to normal. It was the only thing that allowed me to stay uncomplaining, just as she had asked me… _to be patient_. However, it turned out hard to believe that she was going to fulfill her promise because she soon broke her other words, that she would be more attentive to me. There was always some excuse that made her arrive later than expected, or when I was already in bed, or a setback that kept her away from me all night. One time I even spent two days without knowing of her whereabouts. I did not even bother to invoke her anymore; if she wanted to see me, she must come without me having to ask her. She had become obsessed with hunting those creatures, to the point that I wished with all my might that they would all end up dying soon, even though at the beginning I was completely against exterminating them. Above all things, I remained enduring her abrupt mood changes; I remained understanding even though she never explained any reason to me properly; I remained silent, agreeing wordlessly to any of her decisions without internally approving her erratic behavior…and waited patiently for everything to return to normality…

However, after the death of the last creature, nothing was again like before. Three days had already passed since that dreadful episode finally ended and there I was…alone in our room, getting ready to go to bed after a long time of waiting for her. I was sitting in the small cushioned bench in front of the dressing table, combing my hair while I looked through the mirror my own face of displeasure, containing the bitter tears that made my eyes burn. I felt stupid for believing in her empty words right until the end. She was not the same, something had changed in her and I was terrified to think that I had lost her, my Alex…as if she had slipped from my grasp; the thought caused in me an exceptional fretfulness… _Give her some time…Give her some time…_ I repeated to myself over and over. Maybe she needed time to go back to what she was before. I thought while brushing my hair absentmindedly. A shadow behind me made me jump out of surprise causing me to release the firm grip I had on the comb…

"Alex…" I sighed when I took her reflection in "You scared me…"

"I see…" She had an amused smile plastered on her face, but it did not reach her eyes "Sorry…it was not my intention…" She said softly, approaching towards me until her front was barely pressed against my back. I ignored her and leaned forward to take the comb off the floor and continued fixing my hair completely oblivious to her presence "You are mad…" She acknowledged after infinite seconds of silence

"Where have you been, Alex?" I asked methodically without meeting the mirrored image of her eyes whilst placing the comb on the table with extreme delicacy, as if it were made of thin glass…

"I figured I'd get in trouble for being late these past days…" The taunting in her voice made me lock my eyes with the mirrored image of hers; I was shocked by her lightness when she knew pretty well how angry I was. Not even my angered glare made her reconsidered the buoyancy of her tone "But as a matter of fact…I've been working on something pretty special…" She smiled wider only irritating me even more

"I don't even want to know about it" I spitted out of hatred and got up quickly to get away from her, but as I got up, she caught me firmly from behind, snaking my waist with her arms that felt like iron chains to stop me from going anywhere, and kicked the small bench to one side to get it out of our way, allowing our bodies to be even closer. It bothered me that she made use of her advantageous strength to hold me in place "Alex…Let go…" I warned her seriously "I'm mad at you…don't you see it?" I persisted before her roguish face, as if she was not aware of my anger towards her…

"Yes, I know…" She recognized tightening her hold around me, an sinking her chin on my right shoulder "And I'm trying to placate your anger…although I must admit, it turns out to be quite appealing"

"Alright that's enough!" I said cuttingly using all my strength to get out of her imposed embrace; nevertheless, she freed me just enough to allow me to turn around to face her "I'm not joking Alex…" I said to her face

"I'm not either…" Finally her funny face turned serious "I really want to apologize and…make up for all you've done for me this last month" And then, she began to enthrall me with her soft raspy voice and her penetrating gaze that left me defenseless "You've been so indulgent and enduring…even though I did not deserve that from you…" I stopped resisting her grip

"Where have you been, Alex?" I repeated the question calmly, giving her again an opportunity to truly make up for her mistakes…

"I told you already…" Her cheeks rose as her lips stretched out in a wonderful smile "I've been working on something pretty special" She said again enigmatically, making me roll my eyes in annoyance "Bear with me, alright?" I took a deep breath to appease my irritation and nodded with a clenched jaw "I'm going to need you to turn around towards the mirror and close your eyes…" She requested tentatively with a pleading lift of her eyebrows. I released a puff of air, agreeing to meet her wishes, and I did what she asked. I was bothered by my own weakness; she could break down my barriers with a simple look, and that made me mad at myself. She got closer to me from behind, pushing me to take a couple of steps forward to the dressing table and to the mirror. I stopped when I felt the edge of the table against my upper thighs "Alright" She said right next to my right ear "Now, don't open your eyes until I tell you otherwise…"

"Whatever…" I made a poor attempt to sound disinterested, but I was actually wishing to find out what was all that about. She laughed quietly near my ear, and the cold air of her breath made me shudder nicely. She moved her body slightly away from me and collected my loose hair with one hand to collect it over my left shoulder. For a moment, I did not feel her touch anymore and I was only aware of the coldness of the metal around my neck… _a necklace…_ I thought instantly as she completed the task of fastening the piece from behind…

"Don't open your eyes yet" She warned me humorously and scattered my hair loosely around both shoulders and my back to free it from the grip of the necklace that was fairly heavy. I wondered what it was made of as she finished the task " _Perfect_ …" She breathed in awe, hugging me from behind "Now you can open them…" I did as she instructed me.

My gaze fell directly on the pendant at the end of the chain. A large heart-shaped stone the size of a nut, as black as a crow's plumage and that shone with the force of the sun as sparkled all kinds of lights caused by the beam of the candles. The chain to which it was attached, it was a delicate string of silver with small stones inlaid that I could only assume were little diamonds for the so spotless and pure brightness, like water drops, that conformed to the shape of my neck and collarbones to perfection. It was an extraordinary piece of jewelry, and although I had never seen anything like that black stone, I knew enough about jewelry to know that it was a precious stone. My right hand went to catch the rock to examine it closer…

"What is it?" I wondered mesmerized by its exquisiteness, looking for her eyes on the mirror's reflection…

"It's a black diamond" I raised my eyebrows in surprise; I had never heard of it "It's the rarest gemstone in the entire world, since it can only be found in the Shadow Lands…this one" She reached the stone with her right hand to hold it delicately between her fingers "It is the largest one found to date…I've had it saved cagily for decades, and I finally knew what to do with it…" She continued explaining while I listened attentively to her words "A few days ago I sent someone for a very reputable jeweler to work the rock…I have spent a lot of time supervising his work, nagging him about every little detail…" I laughed softly shaking my head in disapproval only imagining her controlling even the smallest detail; I felt sorry for the poor man who did the work "I wanted it to be just right for you…" She argued defensively "So…you like it?" She asked me shortly after with a shy smile, waiting for my final verdict…

"I…I love it…" I said simply, observing the necklace once more through the mirror. I really did not have words to express how precious the gift was…

"I thought it would be a perfect representation of myself, so that you can carry me with you all the time…" She spoke sweetly, and I swear I could sense the hint of diffidence behind her self-assured façade "It is _dark_ … _cold_ and _hard…_ and above all, it belongs to you, just like my heart" Those words only praised the weight of the gift. It was not just a simple piece of jewelry, but she was avowing with it that her heart belonged to me, as well as all of her, as well as I belonged to her utterly and irrevocably. My insides melted with tenderness and all my rancor and anger towards her dissipated instantly as I spoke…

"You are forgetting the most important trait" She frowned in doubt, not knowing what I was referring to. I turned towards her, inside the circle of her arms around me, to see directly into her eyes and said with unfathomed love "It's _beautiful_ " She smiled very pleased with my appreciation of the gift she had just given me, but her smile soon vanished to be replaced by a face of atonement…

"I'm very sorry Pipes…for my thoughtlessness" She apologized "I know I've been very difficult to bear with lately and you didn't deserve that…I never meant to hurt you in any way" Of course I knew she would have never hurt me on purpose. She had behaved out of herself and her apathy had been painful for me because I knew it was not like her to treat me that way…

"I know…" I said sympathetic, not liking her afflicted gesture. I was still trying to understand that maybe all the hunting incident had been harder for her than what I would have imagined "It's alright Alex…it is fine…we are fine" I wanted so badly to appease her contrite face

"Are we?" She uttered in a weak manner that stirred my insides. I nodded in silent agreement "Does that mean that you forgive me?" Again she spoke revealing her vulnerable side, only exposed to me

"Yes…" I breathed out snaring my fingers on the back of her head

"You are wonderful…" She gave me a smile full with respect, but she changed instantly the serious tone of the conversation, knowing herself forgiven "Actually…I was kind of hoping for you to make it harder for me…" She tightened the grip she had around my waist and said impishly to my face "I would have done _anything_ to gain your forgiveness…just so you know" She winked at me in the end and my heart skipped a beat

"On second thought…I _should_ not make it so easy for you after all…" I replied feeling mischievous by her sudden playfulness and pulled her from her neck to bring her closer to me…

"That's a challenge I would happily take on…" She said very softly once our lips barely touched, however I did not give her time to continue the banter.

I had not been aware of how much I needed her, how much I had missed her until my lips began to move avidly against hers on their own accord, in a desperate attempt to taste her, as if at any second the moment could simply fade away. It had been days, almost two weeks, since the last time we had been involved in some intimate exchange. She had been away most of the day, and if she got home, I was already too tired of waiting for her and too angry to even accept a kiss of hers…The lack of her cares had also affected me, not only physically but emotionally. I had been wondering for days if maybe she no longer found me appealing or if she had grown tired of me, an idea that terrified me deeply. But her response to my kiss dissipated those insecurities as fast as she spun me around so that I was facing the mirror again; when I saw her reflection, eyes darkened by desire and lips parted and drew into a devil smirk, I had the certainty that she wanted me as much as I wanted her. I was ready to fight against her firm grip to turn around and find again the comfort of her lips, but soon my resolve was crumbled when her hands traveled up my body to rest on my breasts and began to massage them over the soft silk of my dressing gown. The feeling of her strong hands and its contrast with the caress of the smooth thin fabric against my skin, the only thing that stood between us, was overpowering, to the point that I felt myself about to faint…

"I've missed you so much…" She growled deeply on my ear, sending shivers along my spine…

"I've missed you too, Alex…" I reached for the back of her head with my right hand, and buried my fingers in her indomitable black mane while my left hand clung tightly to the back of hers, bounded stubbornly to my left breast. Little by little she began to remove my gown from my shoulders, leaving my skin completely at the mercy of her lips, already attached wonderfully to the curve between my right shoulder and neck…

"I want that necklace to be the only thing on your body…" She spoke with a lustful cadence, and as soon as she finished saying it, she ended up taking off my robe in a swift motion, leaving me in front of my half-naked reflection, since I was still wearing my underpants. The whole affair in front of the mirror made me feel exposed like never before. It was extremely thrilling to observe her hands loitering on my naked torso, caressing every little bit of skin but always avoiding my perky mounds "You are so heavenly _gorgeous_ " She said with praise absorbing my body on the mirror with her intense gaze; her fingers leaving traces of feathery touches all over my abdomen and in the flatness between my breasts. My hands were edgily clutched around her forearms, trying without success to sidetrack her caresses towards my chest that I kept raising every time her hands came closer to my small mounds, aching to feel the cold of her hands over them. Always attentive to my needs, it did not take her much longer to comply with my wishes. She captured my nipples deliciously between her fingers to begin a wonderful round of ministrations on them. I threw my head back, supporting it on her left shoulder, as a heavy moan escaped from my depths and closed my eyes, surrendering to the feeling "Uh uh...don't you dare close your eyes" She uttered in disapproval "I want you to see yourself Pipes…" She breathed out harshly "I want you to see how I touch you…" And I wanted to see that too, though it would be really hard to keep my eyes on the image before me. I took a deep breath and straightened myself to open my eyes again; but instead of watching my own body, I locked my eyes with her wild look "Now…I want you to show me how wet are you…" She instructed carefully while watching me absorbedly; before I could even register what she was referring to, I felt her cold fingers curling around my wrist to direct my right hand down my abdomen, encouraging me to slide it under my breeches. She raised her eyebrows animatedly and smiled whit approval when my fingers lingered on the waistband of my undergarments, but I was too dumbfounded to continue with the task. However, her hand was already there over mine to accompany me in the quest to reach my own core. My breath hitched around a moan of pleasure when my middle finger intruded into my privacy with her assistance, soaking up immediately. I gasped for air as my hand moved up and down instinctively against my centre, desperate to alleviate the urgency that for so many days had been forging inside me; to my great disappointment, she forced me to stop my movements and withdrew my hand out from beneath my undergarments, and in a very deliberate motion, she brought my fingers coated with my arousal to her mouth, to lick them and suck them clean shamelessly. I felt dizzy from the sudden lack of air; I had forgotten how to breathe enthralled by what was surely the most erotic moment ever witnessed by me; it was a lot to say considering that each of those moments of mine belonged only to her " _Mmmm_ …delicious…" She gloated with my taste giving my fingers a final lick "Cat got your tongue?" Her playful voice took me out of my subdued state; still I was not able to deliver a single word, so I just shook my head "Gods forbid something bad to happen to your tongue…I plan to give it many uses once I'm over with you" She finished with a naughty wink and licked her lips moistening them. Just when I was about to beg for her to attend to my burning need between my legs, her hands were already tugging my breeches down to expose my heated core to the chilly air of the night and to her cold touch. She bent down to roll my underwear down to my ankles insufferably slow, her cold breath hitting my rear momentarily. I took my feet out of the tugged garment and kicked it away in a swift movement of my right foot and stood stoically waiting further instructions "Spread your legs…" She said ruthlessly as a command, returning to her earlier position, standing behind me; her voice contrasted abysmally with the gentle touch of her hands, and the tender kisses that she planted in every inch of skin within the reach of her mouth…

"Alex…" I pleaded into a gasping sound and my feeble hands sought to touch her behind me, clinging to pieces of her clothes…

"Put your hands on the table…" She suggested, softening her previous tone and pulling my hands away from her body caringly "You'll need to lean on something…" She further explained, even when I never questioned her actions in those matters. I did what she asked me, and placed my open hands in front of me on the table, gaining stability… _so maybe she has a point_ , I pondered from my new position. Her pale long fingers shaped the contour of my hip bones in a solid grip, to pull from the center of my being ever so slightly into her front, forcing me to angle my upper body forward, holding my weight partially with my hands… "Just like that…" She approved huskily, and went on to please me how my body required her the most. I was not expecting her right hand to reach me from behind, until I felt the cold enveloping my blazing core and saw the tip of her fingers peeking from between my legs in the reflection on the mirror. All my limbs wavered at the satisfying contact; the only thing that kept me from falling was her left arm holding me firmly by my waist and her right hand cupping my middle…it was agonizing how much I needed her. I had almost come to forget the delicious feeling of her hand on my innermost. My eyes were fixed between my legs and I felt badly behaved, as if I was seeing something that should not be seen; it was utterly absurd feeling that way, even so, I looked away and up, and my eyes fell on hers. Her gaze was stuck in my face. Her feral features along the simple touch of her hand pushed me to the edge effortlessly, so there was little that she had to do to make me come undone. Her middle finger came to play with my little bud, caressing it in an unbearable circular motion. I swung my hips back and forth, encouraging her to increase the strokes, never breaking the contact of our eyes. Her smile grew wider as my body grew fraught "That's right Pipes… _come for me_ …" My pleasure obeyed her words, as if it did not belong to me, as if it had a mind on its own and was completely under her orders. The world came to a halt and everything ceased to exist, except for her and me and the wonderful sensation that seized me the instant that the peak hit me abruptly "I got you…It's alright…I got you…" I could barely make out her voice over my uncontrollable whimpers and moans. I did not understand the words until after a long moment I opened my eyes to see myself bended forward over the table, with my arms loose. I realized that my body seemed detached from my mind. My extremities had finally faltered, irresponsive to my commands to move; thankfully, she held me into a secure embrace that prevented me from falling to the ground. She leaned over my body to bring her lips to my right shoulder and kiss me there, depositing open mouthed kisses full with fondness, tracing the curve of my neck to reach my ear and whisper sweet words of comfort while I recovered my breath and senses. My entire body began to shake with a soft laugh that emanated from my insides once I had filled my lungs with air repeatedly…it was a laugh of relief, of pure bliss after so many days of annoyance and sadness…"What's so funny?" She wondered puzzled as I straightened myself, testing the stability of my legs…

"Nothing…" A broad smile lit my face, which made her look at me with a deeper frown, as if I had lost my mind. I could only laugh more animatedly in response. I turned to her, eager to kiss her "You just made me extremely happy…" I sighed and shortened the space between our lips wrapping my arms around her ample shoulders…

"If it pleases you…I can do it again…" She moaned the words into the kiss and in a sudden movement she hooked my legs from behind my knees with her hands, perching me effortlessly on the dressing table and bringing my legs to wrap them around her hips "And again…and again…and again…and again" She said as she peppered my neck, my collarbones, my face with kindhearted kisses drawing giggles out of me…

"Then do and don't tell…" I said in laughter. She came to a sudden halt and came to face me with a severe pretense

"You asked for it…" She purred menacingly and caught me off guard, sliding her hands under my buttocks and lifting me up to take me to bed with ease. When her legs came up against the edge of the bed, she spun us around swiftly and let herself fall onto the mattress, dragging me with her so that I landed breathlessly on top, straddling her. Her hands kept themselves busy with my butt cheeks as I devoured her lips as much as I could in my disheveled state.

"How is it that you still have all your clothes on?" I asked her taking a break from her lips to breathe a little

"And whose fault is it?" She smirked with challenging tone. I bit my lip to suppress a smile and sat up on her to put my hands to work without more time to lose. My shaky hands came to unbutton the front of her shirt as her eyes roamed my body in awe from below "You do look wonderful with that necklace" Her raspy voice and her intense glare over my nakedness only made the task of removing her clothes more complicated, as my fingers got stuck with nervousness and anxiety at each button "Having trouble?" She remarked my obvious clumsiness, flashing at me a toothy grin of amusement…

"Shut up…" I admonished her as I obstinately ended up losing patience with the piece of clothes, tearing it open without caring to damage the garment, freeing her ample and beautiful breast to my fairy view. I smiled elatedly at the sight underneath me…

"That was rude…" She exclaimed complaining taking me aback, and sat down abruptly, almost clashing our naked fronts. I looked at her expectantly as she spoke "I _really_ liked that shirt" And despite her gravity, I could see the subtle hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth

"Too bad I ruined it…" I said without a pinch of remorse, sliding my hands under the collar of the open piece of clothing to clutch her tightly from the base of her neck and began to massage the area purposefully.

I had already discovered a night in the bath, that she had a soft spot for massages. She closed her eyes clearly delighted with my cares and released a low rumble that made my belly stirred in a funny way. I smiled fondly at her face of bliss and I thought again how much I had missed that part of her that I had not seen for weeks. I rose on my knees and leaned a little to bury my nose in the black hair of the crown of her head, and inhaled her fragrance gladly as my hands crawled up her neck until tangling my fingers in the hair of her nape, tugging her so that her lips touched my chest. It took her a mere second to register my intentions, since her lips were already fastened around my left nipple, sucking it ever so neatly; her deep moans kept sending shivers all the way down and into my core. How much I enjoyed her lips in that specific area of my body…

"Oh you are so perfect…" I heard her saying while turning her attention towards my other breast. I hummed in enjoyment when the cold humidity of her mouth enveloped my throbbing peak. She released it with a loud popping sound that got lost into my louder whimper "You should wear no clothes more often…nudity suits you to perfection" She looked up searching for my eyes, and I saw her wicked smile from above "I should impose it as a rule…thou shalt not wear any clothes" I laughed vigorously at her ridiculousness, sitting on her thighs to be back at her eyes' height

"But then…everyone would see me naked" I went along with her silly proposal "I wouldn't want that…I want you to be the only one to see me…"

"That would not be a problem…" She shrugged it off nonchalantly, as if actually considering the idea and then her eyes became a couple of shades darker and her voice turned out cold and distant to speak "I could simply tear out everyone's eyes so they cannot see you walking naked around the castle…only my eyes would be left to see you" She was joking, clearly, the whole subject had started as a joke, _right?_ But something in the way she had spoken gave me chills…

"That's…" I began saying around an awkward laugh "A little disturbing" I half joked, snorting foolishly, but she did not join me and her face remained serious. She was watching me absorbedly with indecipherable eyes that I did not recognize as hers "Something wrong?" I dared to speak after a moment of unease, not knowing what had happened that changed her cheerful behavior from just a minute ago…

"Nothing is wrong…" She assured me after some seconds of silence; her face had finally softened and her eyes shone again with its unique jade vividness "I was only thinking that you are too beautiful to be real…and that I've missed you so much" She uttered smoothly, leaving me troubled by how quickly her gestures seemed to shift in a matter of seconds.

And even when she began to act good-naturedly again, there was something off, I perceived, as a bad feeling I had never experienced while being with her. She started kissing me again, oblivious to my sudden distress. I decided to let it go, whatever that weird sensation was, and focused again solely on her, on how her hands roamed my back with fervor, on how her lips molded to mine to perfection, on how her wet cold tongue traced the edges of my mouth with so much acquaintance and intruded into it with such voracity. Soon, there was not a single trace of thought in my mind, since my entire system had been invaded by the sensations that she evoked in me. She was all I could feel for the moment; it was not hard to let myself get carried away at her whim. I had been so engrossed in her, that only when I opened my eyes again, I came to the realization that our positions had been completely altered. I was lying fully on the mattress with her body satisfactorily pressed on mine and the black wildness of her hair splattered all over my face. I searched her gaze in the darkness created by the curtain of her plentiful mane, that I pulled away with both hands to clear her eyes from the thick locks of hair…

"Beautiful…" I muttered involuntarily, admiring her features and tucking the raven strands behind her ears.

She smiled softly, barely showing her teeth behind her rosy lips that were superbly puffy, from all the effort exerted by them, and maybe a little because of my constant nibbles on them. I brought her to me by pulling from the edges of her open shirt to consume my cravings for the sweetened taste of her tongue. She stuck her left leg between my thighs, as a not so subtle hint for me to open up my legs. I groaned shamelessly into her mouth when once again she pushed herself against me. She was still wearing her clothes, so the rough fabric of her pants felt scrumptiously against the delicate skin on the inside of my upper legs and my exposed core. She broke the kiss allowing me to release my inevitable moans freely…

"You've ruined my shirt and now…" She said harshly "Now you've ruined my pants…they are drenched beyond repair" She continued scolding me severely, although I well knew that she did not give a damn about her clothes "What am I supposed to do with you?" I opened my eyes with great effort, fighting against the weight of my heavy eyelids and look at her with defiance, feeling extremely intrepid…

"Do what you have to do…" I dared to say, as a brash thing to do and waited for the heavenly consequences…

"Mhmmm… _feisty…_ " She murmured with enjoyment before capturing my lips devotedly

I did not have to plead her to touch me; her left hand traveled down my body without stopping, without distractions, to submerge itself in the warm dampness of my other _lips_ , as she once had called them. The bliss of her fingers was maddening and she had me begging for more…

" _Inside_ …" I managed to gasp with her tongue inside my mouth. I had not finished saying the word and I was already weighed down by the stretching sensation her fingers caused within me. I cried her name with joy at the welcomed intrusion, nailing my fingers deeply into her scalp unintentionally…she growled a reverberation of pure elation; at least I came to think it was a sound of pleasure, never considering that it was possible for me to hurt her, no matter how rough I could be…

"Piper!" She snarled biting my lips and increasing the force of her thrusting into me, waking up a raging fire inside me…I rejoiced in her impetuosity that seemed to be on the rise, perhaps stimulated by my parade of verbal manifestations of satisfaction; nevertheless, soon it was too much, and the nice soreness became one of painful discomfort. I was forced to tell her to slow down…

"Alex…" I said softly trying to disengage our lips "Alex…" I repeated more firmly with a hint of warning pushing her away from me by her chest. She came to a halt and looked at me with a distorted gaze of incomprehension that made my hair stand on end for some unknown reason "Slow down a bit…" I told her gently looking into her dangerous look. Her eyes were gloomy as I had never seen them before…it did not seem like her usual darkened gaze of yearn, but cloudy and unfocussed, devoid of its characteristic sparkle and _oddly_ foreign "Alright?" I asked her to confirm that she had understood, since she looked like she was processing my words, grasping the meaning of them…

"I'm…I'm sorry" She mumbled furrowing her brows and blinked repeatedly; the strange dullness of her eyes vanished, unveiling the familiar look that made my heart come to a stop…

"It's alright…" I released a soft laugh of fondness; suddenly she looked so vulnerable with her features of concern "Just…go easy" I said around a smile, to appease her manifest distress and pulled her down towards me to seal her lips with a searing kiss. Knowing her, she was probably going to start to ramble on apologizing again and again for having been so harsh with me. Into the kiss, she went back to resume the drive of her left hand into me but at a tremendously guarded pace, just like her lips, which then began to move sluggishly against my keen ones, lacking her initial passion. I tried to hint her to enhance her tempo with my hands and my mouth, in vain. I made a sound that resembled a grunt of protest after several attempts, suddenly annoyed by her excessive mildness…

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked in diffidence, sensing my nuisance and again, coming to a halt…

"No Alex…" I breathed out in frustration "There's nothing wrong" What happened to her? I wondered. She had never been so hesitant in bed. She had never had problems deciphering my body language…we always seemed harmonized without needing words "It's just…" I softened my tone before her lost gaze; she truly thought she was doing something wrong "When I said _go easy_ …I did not mean you had to be _soooo_ …" I looked for an appropriate word, so as not to offend her abilities " _Careful_ …" I finished with a questioning inflection. Her shaky laughter proved that my words had not offended her…

"I see…" She grinned with affection

"Forget what I said and just _fff_ …" I began proposing and my words stumbled when she raised her eyebrows suggestively in the middle of my sentence, hinting what I was going to say "… _fuck me_ like you have always done…" I ended up delivering despite my feral blushing

"And how is that?" She dropped her voice low down to wonder in delight

"Astoundingly…" I propped my body up to reach for her lips above me and continued committed to her mouth without intentions to keep talking.

Our brief interruption served for her to return to show her previous enthusiasm, although I could say she was somewhat more restrained with her thrusting motions and she kept diverting her attention to my face as if looking for some signal of discomfort in me. I did not think that was necessary at all, since my noises could only be interpreted as a good sign, still, she was watchful of each one of my gestures. Little it took me to feel the incipience of my climax…I clung to her neck as if my life depended on it, auguring a forceful burst…

"Piper…" She hissed huskily at the entrance of my ear, boosting her momentum as undying seconds passed by…

"Alex…" I whined vociferously before my body was hit by the wave of pleasure that drowned me in an ocean made of her…because she was the only thing that my poor worn out mind could be aware of…well, that and of the sudden twinge of pain that came from the side of my neck, sharp and piercing. My cry of pleasure became one of hurt "Alex!" The pain intensified excruciatingly "Stop!"

I used all of my strength to push her violently away from me. I was surprised that it worked. It was as if her body had been blown away from above me; in less than a second I stopped feeling her weight on my body. I sat up hastily processing what had just happened and brought my trembling hands to the throbbing pain on my neck…my fingers felt the warm sticky fluid that I knew was blood, but even so, I moved my hands in front of my eyes to observe them coated with red. My stomach became unsettled and my dinner threatened to leave my body. I was aghast; my mind was too slow to grasp itself around the fact of what Alex had done to me. I looked for her with my sight to find her a couple of meters in front of the bed, lying on the floor and struggling to get on her four; the air came in and out of her lungs in a low howl that resembled that of a wounded creature.

My heart ached for her, above my own pain and fear, but I was smart enough to keep my distance…my survival instinct kicked in and made me stay still on the bed, trying to go unnoticed by her, and then it hit me… _the nightmare…_ I thought, realizing that the situation was strangely familiar to that of a dream I had had exactly over a month ago, the night after the attack of the beast in the woods. In my dream, she had also attacked me, but that had been a dream, where I had not been able to feel the pain of betrayal as vividly as it was then stuck in my chest, making it almost impossible for me to breathe or move, although fear was also responsible for that. The only thing I could do was to bring my left had and cup the wound of my neck with it, while I watched her guardedly as she stood up hunched forward and raised her face to nail me in place with her knife-like glare, as if I was not already utterly paralyzed with terror. Her beautiful face was contorted into a thousand gestures I was unable to read and her lips were crimsoned, with my blood. She seemed estranged from herself and from me, assessing me with the strangest face of struggle. Her eyes moved ever so slightly away from my eyes to fall on my neck and her features transformed into mask of shock; I thought she had just come to understand what she had done. She stepped backwards uneasily as she wiped my blood from her mouth with the back of her hands, looking back at them with disgust and abhorrence. She continued stepping away from me until her back hit one of the walls. When she turned her gaze towards me again, I could discern her own self being into her face of endless grief…

"Piper?" She asked with the voice of a frightened girl that could barely be heard above the fierce beating of my heart. Before I was able to find my own voice to respond or be able to move, she mouthed a silent _Sorry_ in the distance and disappeared before me leaving behind a wisp of dark fog that vanished in the few seconds it took me to start crying chaotically…

After recovering a little from the violent sobs that took over my body, the first thing I did was going to the bathroom to assess and clean the wound in front of the mirror. I discovered behind the thick coat of dried blood, the shape of her teeth embedded into my flesh, surrounded by a purplish shadow that warned to get darker the next day. I was still naked, too affected to feel the cold air of the night. The only thing I kept on me was the necklace she had just given me. I observed the heart-shaped diamond with sadness as a new wave of tears caught me off guard…

"Alex…" I voiced out loud but thought of her other name in an attempt to invoke her; however, she did not come.

Later that night, I went in search of Nicky, unable to wait until the next morning and desperate to talk with someone and ask for help. She was asleep, but got alert as soon as she registered my face illuminated by the chandelier that I held in my hands. I told her what had happened and her contrite gestures were a reflection of my own anguish. It bugged me however how she seemed to be thinking deeply about something; I would have expected a reaction of shock after all, but she was immerse in deep concentration…

"I don't know what to say Piper…" She said completely lost at words "I'm so sorry, I just…" She struggled to find the right words, even when there were no right words to say "I don't know what to say…" She repeated in defeat

"It was not _her_ Nicky…" She looked at me warily waiting for me to explain further "There was…something about her eyes…" I had noticed that night…there had been a moment when I had seen into her eyes and I had felt a chill traveling along my body as a bad omen "It was not her…" I simply echoed the words, not knowing exactly what it was as to put a finger on it

"I know…" She said kindly placing a hand on my shoulder to give me a sympathetic stroke, but her acknowledgement made me wonder…

"You know?" I inquired, suspecting she knew something I didn't

"I mean…I know she's been acting… _weird_ …lately" She began saying

"So you've noticed too…"

"I think it would have been hard not to notice…" Her words were not supposed to calm me down, but for some reason they did, because at least I knew I was not crazy…that the changes in Alex were not a product of my imagination…

"Nicky…" I said carefully "Do you know something that I should know?" She was Alex's best friend after all…

"Look…if there is something you should know…I'm not the person you should ask" Her cryptic answer only confirmed my suspicions; she did know something…but I did not insist on asking because I knew that Nicky would never betray Alex's trust "Whatever it is…you'll get through it" I clung to her words desperately "Let's hope she'll be back home soon and then we'll think what we can do about it…"

"I've been calling her for hours…" I said hopelessly…

"Piper…that's not going to work…" She spoke softly "She must be terribly sorry and ashamed for what she did to you…believe me, she needs space and time…" Of course I knew that too, but it was hard to wait with crossed arms "She'll be back only when she is ready to face you…" She finished saying…

Despite her words, I called her at all times the following days, desperate to let her know that I needed her with me; that whatever it was we could talk about it and overcome it, as Nicky had told me. But the solution was definitely not to stay away from me for days and leave me in doubt and anxious to know about her wellbeing. Four days had already passed, and with them my anxiety only grew bigger; nevertheless, I made the effort to call her less frequently, to give her space. I locked myself in our room, not in the mood for anything else, not wanting to chat with people…It was already late afternoon and I waited for someone to bring me a tray of food that I would leave untouched, but that Red insisted on sending to my room. I heard the lazy whine of the big door as someone opened it…

"Please tell Red to stop sending food…" I began saying with bored tone looking out the window absentmindedly and turned around waiting to face one of the girls from the service staff with a tray on her hands, only to find someone I was not expecting at all… "Tiffany…" I greeted her greatly puzzled "What are you doing here?" I questioned her, especially because she was not carrying any tray…

"I need to speak to you, ma'am…" She came into the room uninvited and closed the door behind her. I did not say anything because I noticed certain urgency in her words

"Alright…but you know you can't be in here…" I said, fearing that Alex would choose that precise moment to come back and punish her for breaking the rules "If Al…" I stopped and corrected myself "If Lady Vause finds out you've been here…you could get yourself in trouble…" I could only imagine her wrath against the poor girl

"But she ain't coming back…she's been missing for days…" She pointed out approaching towards me

"Tiffany, are you alright?" I shortened the space between us, concerned by the tears that were beginning to leave her eyes suddenly

"I'm fine ma'am" She sniffed and wiped her tears away with a sleeve

"Then why are you crying?" I asked her softly placing a hand amicably on her shoulder

"Because…I'm about to do something that I don't want to do…" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion

"What is it?"

"I've come here to free you ma'am" She explained with determination

"Free me? From what?" It made no sense… _what is she talking about?_

"From _her…_ " She said dropping her voice not to be heard "She is _evil…_ " She was talking about Alex, obviously "You are just too good to be under her dominance…I can't allow it" She shook her head as if horrified with the thought, but I just laughed softly to ease her worries

"Tiffany…I'm free…I'm not under her dominance…" I assured her with lightness "I'm free to leave this place at any time…if I'm here it is only because I want to…"

"You don't get it!" She exclaimed heatedly making me take a step back in surprise "It's what evil does…it possesses you and it makes you a slave" She started walking unyielding towards me, forcing me to step back to keep some distance between us "But don't worry…your soul can still be saved…" She said at last as a sweet pledge and looked behind her back with her right hand to draw swiftly a short blade, but long enough to cause real harm. My blood froze grasping the danger before me…

"Tiffany…" I said her name in conciliatory tone as I continued walking backwards, bringing my hands to the front in _calm down_ gesticulation "What are you doing?"

"I told you already…I'm freeing you from her" She simply said

"Tiffany…I don't think you truly understand my situation…I'm not a slave" I tried to explain her again, to put some reason into her mind "I…I love her…and I want to be with her"

"But it's an abomination!" She screamed swinging the blade with one hand ready to pounce on me…I came across the wall, which left me without space to evade her…

"Don't do it Tiffany" I warned her but it sounded more like a plea…

"I'm sorry…" However her eyes showed nothing but resolve "I'm really sorry" She repeated truly disturbed and gave me the first stab throwing herself on me. Fortunately, I had had enough ability to dodge the blade with the back of my forearm…

" _Wardeeeeeen!"_ I screamed at the top of my lungs overwhelmed by the instant pain in my arm and embracing myself for the second blow…


	50. Chapter 50

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hellooo wonderful, amazing, beautiful people! I bring to you a new chapter **AAAAANNNDDDD A NEW STORY!** (that is a surprise to celebrate the 1000 reviews hehe) You can find it on the main page next to this update because I uploaded it right before updating this one. I already told you once that I was working on other stories...the funny thing is that this new story was not planned at all! What happend is that I was working on another story that is a little "emotionally demanding" as I'm also writing the last chapters of Light in the Darkest Place, which by the way, are also being hard for me to write. So, one day inspiration hit me and I started writing something completely different from what I was doing...something light and humorous (my first attempt at, let's call it "romantic comedy") because I needed to disconnect from so much drama :/ So, go and read it and tell me what you think of it and if you want me to continue with that story...

 **By the way...** a guest recently asked in the comments section something about how long Alex and Piper had been together. Honestly, I lost track of time in this story, but I promised I was going to try to clarify this matter. I went through all the chapters and did the maths, so here I'll leave a summary of the most important events and an approximation of when they happened:

I think the event that changed the dynamics of their relationship, was when Piper is recovering from her broken ribs from when she fell from the horse when trying to escape, and Alex begins to visit her daily as she recovers. Then one day while they are walking around the castle, Piper lets her know that she wants to stay in the Shadow Lands. According to my math, that happened around day 49, and after that specific moment everything changes because Alex starts to consider the option of being something more with Piper. Alex gives her the horse as a gift, Piper gives her the rose and Alex freaks out and disappears for a couple of days not knowing what to do until she decides to come back and goes to Piper's room in the middle of the night and well…you know what happened that night XD (their first time was around day 52) After that, we know that Piper is pretty upset and distances herself from Alex, but then they reconcile the night Alex invites Piper to have dinner with her, Piper gets a little drunk and kisses Alex when she accompanies her to her room. That night Piper reads the letter from her parents so the next day she spends it sad and on her bed while Alex keeps her company. Then, the day after that, they have a date of sorts…and Alex takes her to their special place and that same night Piper grows some nerves and gets into the bathtub with Alex, and I think that this is officially the beginning of their relationship…at that specific moment, approximately 2 months have passed since Piper's arrival. With the events of the last chapter (chapter 49), I can estimate that roughly **4 months have passed overall** , from day one, so **they've been together for over two intense months** , if you count from the first time they had sex, if you count from the second time which was more official, then they've been together for **2 full months.**

 **CHAPTER L (Alex's POV)**

 _What did I just do? What did I just do?_ Little by little my mind began to clear itself of the haziness. She had scream _Stop!_ Yet, I was no sure why. She had pushed me away ferociously, throwing me out of the bed and leaving me on the ground writhing in pain at the blow of force she had just used on me. I struggled to get on my feet, heavily stunned. I had barely noticed the metallic taste on my lips so I did not pay attention to it…not until I was able to recompose myself and grasp the scene in front of me once I was barely standing. I saw the thin trails of blood on her neck and her hand held firmly on the spot where I had… _bitten her_?, only I had not realized how hard I had done it in the mist of ardor along the budding pain ignited within me when she had come undone…

The dark voice within my mind burst out in a rumble of deranged laughter, gloating over the episode. I began walking backwards, to put as much distance as was possible in the room limited by walls, to stay away from her and her gesture of pain as I wiped my mouth with my hands in disgust, wanting to take the taste of her blood out of my mouth as the voice kept laughing and accusing me of hurting her without its help… _That I did not expect!..._ It exclaimed sardonically… _You will end up killing her without me having to persuade you…_ I felt my stomach about to leave my body through my mouth. I kept walking backwards but I could not go much further, since I was forced to come to a halt when my back found a wall; suddenly the vast space of the big room felt so insufficient. I did not think there was a distance big enough to run away from what I had just done; there was no place to hide since I would carry the agonizing remorse with me like a stake stuck in my chest for the rest of my miserable days, that I hoped at that moment to come to an end soon. After what I had just done, I did not deserve a second more in that world where someone like _her_ existed.

I looked up once more to face her, hoping to see a gesture of hatred towards me, the only thing I deserved; I would turn her contempt into my atonement. But of course, I did not discern in her face a single sign of resentment. She could not possibly harbor such feelings in her untainted soul. Her body was tense with fear and shock, but the only thing clear in her eyes above confusion was compassion and absolution… _Hate me!...Despise me!...Yell at me!..._ I wanted to scream at her… _What is wrong with you?!...Why do you insist on loving me?!..._

"Piper?" Her name came out small, crushed by the weight of all the things I wanted to say but that I restrained myself from saying because there were not enough words to express the pain and shame that consumed me at that moment…" _Sorry"_ I barely whispered since I did not even had the right to tell her that empty word and disappeared, feeling unworthy to share the same air with her, but the world was too small of a place to hide, besides, I could only go as far as the Shadow Lands frontiers allowed me.

I felt the weight of the shame on my shoulders pushing me down to my knees and collapsed on the dampened and infertile dirt somewhere within the confines of my lands, and there I lay motionless, waiting for the passage of the hours to bring some kind of divine punishment that would put an end to my unfortunate existence. But the hours went on and turned into days and nothing happened. I heard the cries of the petitioners calling my name, but I only paid special attention to two very familiar voices. Piper and Nicky had been calling me repeatedly, although as time passed, they called me less frequently; they probably had come to understand that their calls would not help and would not get me back home. Honestly, I did not even know when that would happen, when I would be ready to face them. Shame and remorse were still too recent and I suspected I would never stop feeling terribly bad for what I had done…if not because one day I heard Piper's desperate call, I could have stayed in there for months or years, cocooned into a small hole as if discarded on the ground without moving a single finger , letting myself be devoured by grief. But at her cry for help, my body reacted on its own accord. She had been calling me incessantly for days, but that call was clearly different from the previous one; real fright was clear in her voice…

It did not take me a second to appear in our room, to observe the gruesome scene unfolding in front of my astonished eyes. _Someone_ was attacking her; I did not have time to think who the woman was and I did not give a shit about the attacker as I grabbed her by the hair and I pulled from it with such force that I heard the distinctive _crack_ of her neck before she could even be aware that something was attacking her from behind. I threw her inert body like a rag doll and it landed behind my back, somewhere in the room that I did not bother to look, since my eyes were glued on the red color of the abundant blood that dyed Piper's dress. She was on the floor cornered against the wall and protecting her body with bloody arms…She whined my name again, without realizing that I was already in there with her and that the main danger had already passed…

"Piper!" I threw myself over her covering her with my arms to reassure her "I'm here…I'm here…" She raised her dismayed face of fright to see me…

"Alex…" She voiced taking me in with her fearful eyes and began sobbing in shock, but her body did not seem to come out of its shielding form. I had to force her gently to relax her tense position

"Pipes…I'm right here…" I spoke softly pressing my forehead to her left temple "I need to assess your wounds" I continued explaining her as I disentangled the firm grip of her arms around her head. She nodded entranced, grasping her mind around every word I said to her "Very good…" I encouraged her when sensing her body calm down the slightest bit "Come here…I got you…"

I slid my left arm under her legs to hook it around the back of her knees and my right arm went to her back and I lifted her gently so as not to startle her and cradled her lovingly against my chest to take her to bed, depositing her with great care against the abundant pillows that served as backup to keep her in a slightly seated position. Her whole body trembled like a leaf and from her eyes escaped big tears without emitting sobbing sounds; they came out of her blue pools silently. I began to inspect her body frantically, looking for wounds. She had a large one in her left forearm from which an alarming amount of blood flowed, but that one could be contained…so I scanned her body searching for more important injuries in her torso…

"Pipes…" I said with urgency but I managed to keep a soft tone "I need you to tell me where you've been hurt…" Her clothes were stained with red patches everywhere, and I did not know if that blood belonged to the wound on her arm or if there was something more serious to worry about…

"Just…" She barely said into a sigh "My arm…"

"Are you sure?" I inquired and she nodded slightly.

I immediately ripped off shreds of the sheets, since my clothes were suspiciously dirty from spending days lying on the ground… _If I had not left all these days, if I had been here with her…none of this would have happened…_ The guilt again started to pound into my brain. I discarded those thoughts while attending to her wounds, sure that blaming myself at that precise moment would not be useful to heal her…I would have time to add more guilt to my loaded conscience. I took her arm carefully and turned it over in my hands, studying the wound. It was a ghastly open gash that went from her elbow to her wrist, long and deep. I sensed a blow in my guts at the sight of it. It was unbearable for me to think about her being in pain…

"Alright…" I spoke calmly and soothingly as not to worry her; I was already quite concerned with the loss of blood "It is a considerable wound…I'm not going to lie…" It was big and horrendous, yes; but I was grateful that at least it was on the outer side of the arm. A wound like that on the inside of her forearm would have ruined her veins beyond repair, and not even my vast knowledge in healing would have served to fix the damage. The thought itself made me dreadfully nauseous "But…it is not very serious" I began wrapping her arm with the pieces of cloth that I had just shredded and spoke to her hypnotically locking my eyes with hers "You will be perfectly fine as soon as I finish closing the wound" Her eyes were fixed on my face, rapt in my spelling voice…I was using my special enchanting traits to subdue her disturbed state "Now…I need you to keep the wound pressed…" I searched for her right hand to teach her where she needed to press and resumed instructing her "…while I look for some things in the library to heal you…Can you do that?" I asked her fondly and she nodded with resolve. I smiled despite the situation, overwhelmed by her bravery "Good…I'll be right back I promise…" I leaned down towards her to place a tender kiss on her forehead and went to find what I needed.

I was back in less than ten seconds, with everything I needed in my hands, and I scattered the items on the bed…the utensils to sew the wound, a curative paste of some herbs that would serve as a disinfectant and to relieve pain and inflammation, and clean bandages. I just needed something to clean the wound before closing it. I walked towards the table that held the bottles with the spirits, my eyes falling on the strongest one. On my way there, I came across the inert body of a girl. My insides burned with anger when realizing who it was…What the hell had she been doing there? Had Piper allowed her to serve her again against my wishes? I clenched my jaw and stopped myself from bringing the subject up. It was not the proper moment to reprimand Piper for her mistake. I was going to pass by completely ignoring the body, but I stopped when I heard the slight coughing sound coming from it. She was still alive, _hardly,_ but alive at last; I did not know if Piper was observing the scene, so I turned my head to look towards the bed over my right shoulder… _Damn it…_ I thought when I saw her eyes glued to the moribund girl on the floor; her face was contorted into an appalling grimace.

Without a word, I looked back at the girl and quickly grabbed her by an arm unceremoniously and disappeared from the room with the body, to spare Piper from the horrendous image of someone agonizing right in front of her. In a few seconds, I took her to the pit of the lost souls, and finished her off swiftly without the need to rip out her heart, not wanting to stain my hands with her filthy blood; finally I threw her body into the deep hole that seemed to have no end, and I went back to the room. The array of emotions in Piper's face was impossible to read; she was aghast, scared, in pain, in shock. I got down to work immediately and began to clean the wound as delicately as possible. She was so disturbed that she didn't even deliver a single sound of complaint while I was sewing the gash. Throughout the whole healing process I used my soothing voice, telling her the things I was doing; nevertheless, my hypnotic traits were useless since she seemed to be making a clear effort to avoid locking her eyes with mine…

"We are done" I informed her sweetly when I finished bandaging her arm... _What am I supposed to do now?_ I thought as the silence only grew unnervingly bigger. I had been missing for days after the terrible incident where I had hurt her, and I was not ready to face her. I wanted to get out of there and go back being miserable in a hole in the dirt, but of course I couldn't leave her…she needed my cares and she was truly disturbed with the fresh round of unfortunate events. I pondered about saying anything for a long moment and finally I dared to ask "You feeling better?" I spoke gently, wanting to know if at least her pain was vanishing with the poultice I had applied on the wound. She had her sight lowered, locked on her lap. She inhaled deeply and released a heavy and shaky puff of air as if deflating her chest wholly. I thought she would be ordering her ideas to answer my question, but from her mouth came out an unexpected question…

"What did you do to her?" She asked shyly without diverting her eyes from her lap. I knitted my eyebrows together not understanding the question…

"What?"

"Tiffany…" Her voice was then steady and she finally looked up at me to repeat the question unwaveringly "What did you do to her?" _Is she seriously thinking about that damned girl_? I thought with hatred.

"Why should it matter to you?" I replied in disbelief "Why are you worried about the wellbeing of a person who was about to kill you?" I retorted through gritted teeth, not giving credit to the reproving allusion behind her question…

"You just said it, Alex…A _person_ …a _human being_ …" Her face was troubled in deep displeasure for my punishment methods. I already knew perfectly well that she did not approve of _death_ as a punishment…

"I will not apologize for saving your life, Piper" I said bitterly, without feeling the slightest remorse for taking that girl's life…

"Will you apologize for having disappeared?" She inquired with sadness, and then I could not look her in the face "For having left me after…" She stopped right away…

"You can say it…" I uttered, arming myself with the courage to fix my sight in her eyes again "After _hurting_ you…" I completed the sentence for her with a sad smile as I saw her eyes gleaming with a fresh round of tears "And _no_ …I will _not_ apologize for that either" Grief was plain in my voice and she showed a shade of confusion before my refusal to apologize. I enlightened her "Not because I'm not utterly sorry and miserable for it, but because not even eternity would be enough to apologize for what I did…" I knew that she would forgive me no matter what, as she always did if I were to ask her for pardon "I won't ask your forgiveness never again, I don't want it" I told her with determination "One way or another, I will always end up disappointing you, since I will never become what you want me to be…" I finished saying, among unreserved sincerity. My words seemed to hurt her more than all the bad things I had done to her, more than the open gash on her arm…

"Alex…" She whined, struggling to keep herself from crying "I don't want you to be more than who you already are…" Regardless of the genuineness of her words, I knew that deep down she felt otherwise. She would never come to terms with my darkest side "I…I love you…" She stated like she wanted to let me know that she accepted me as I was…

"Really?" I questioned her with a sad smile "Even after what I did to that girl…?"

"Especially in spite of what you did to that girl…" I frowned deeply, failing to understand what she meant by _especially in spite of…_ Did that mean that she would love me blindly despite all my faults? "I _see_ right through you Alex…" She stretched her good arm to cup my check with her wobbly hand and spoke to me fondly piercing my whole being with her cerulean gaze "I see the person you are under this… _halo_ …of darkness, and I know that you harbor all the goodness that there is in this world…" She made a long pause intensifying her stare " _You_ didn't kill that girl…darkness did it…" She ended up saying completely in denial. She really thought I was somehow corrupted by darkness, and perhaps the smartest thing would have been to make her believe that's how it was; but how exhausting the task of lying to her had become and I couldn't bear one more lie…

"I killed Sylvie…" I confessed before I could even realize what I was doing. My cheek lost the warm touch of her hand painfully as she dropped it instantly, but I went on talking, wanting to remove the blindfolds from her eyes "And I assure you, darkness didn't do it… _I did it_ …" My voice was a thin thread about to break due to stress. She observed me with the more than familiar gesture of disenchantment only I could evoke in her every time I had failed her, but for the first time, I discerned a hint of loathing in her gaze; her hatred was all I wanted then…however, gratification was rather painful "Do you still feel the same way about me?" I wondered with irony… _Look at me for what I really am…Hate me! Don't trust me because I will break your trust over and over again…Fucking hate me!_

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was tinged with unmistakable aching "Are you trying to… _hurt me_?" She asked me appalled, sickening me because I thought that's exactly what I wanted to do deep down; to dishearten her beyond repair, needing desperately her hate to redeem myself for the things I had done…

"I want you to open your eyes…" I told her in an attempt to teach her the most valuable lesson she had yet to learn from me "I want you to finally realize what I truly am and to understand once and for all that there are things in me that you cannot change, Piper…I don't want you to live with the illusion that one day I'm going to become something better; odds are that I'm going to let you down"

"Then…what do you want me to do?" She asked after a long moment of silence processing all the things I had told her "Do you want me to hate you? Is that it?"

"I don't know…" I admitted mired in sadness "Can you still love me after knowing what I did to Sylvie? After seeing what I did to that girl? After knowing that I do not regret it and that I would do it a thousand times to anyone who dares to hurt you?" I inquired dissecting the answer in her eyes before her silence "That's what I thought…"

"Can we just please…stop talking about this?" She pleaded with broken voice

"Whatever you want…" I granted her gently; she had been through a lot to discuss those matters then

"You know what I want?" She asked out of the blue; I just observed her expression of dejection "I want to get out of here…" I felt something strangling my guts fearing the worst. Maybe I had pushed her too far and made her want to go back to her old home "I just…I can't…" She began to gasp for air in the middle of a sudden burst of sobbing. I immediately approached her, scooting over to sit closer to her…

"Hey…" I could not help the will to touch her and give her the console of my arms, so I leaned towards her and circled her waist with my hands. It did not take her a second to accept my gesture and buried her face in the crook of my neck, where she continued to shed her tears, broken, defeated. I let her cry between my shushing sounds, while the words of repentant got stuck in my tongue, and waited for her cries of desolation to stop, stroking the small space of her lower back with my hand. When her weeping ended, we remained silent, involved in the same position, and only after a while I heard her faint voice close to my ear…

"I need some time to…think…about all… _this_ …about… _everything_ " She struggled to deliver the words and turned her face away from me at last, but she kept her gaze lowered, looking the space between our bodies "I can't stay in here…" She whispered with grief; again the fear of losing her hit me in the center of my empty chest

"I'll…I'll take you home…if that's…what you want" Words were barely audible; the pain in my chest made it impossible to speak. Silence became eternal, _agonizing,_ as she lifted her captivating gaze to erase all my fears with a simple truth…

"I'm home already, Alex…" Something fluttered inside me at her avowal, as I slowly realized that she was not going anywhere "I just can't be in _this_ room…" She explained and began to shift to get out of bed. I stood up to help her…

"Where are you going?" I asked her in puzzlement, once we were standing and facing each other…

"I guess...my old room…" She voiced out. I understood that it was logical that she did not want to be in our room after what had happened, so I agreed immediately to anything she wished…

"Let me…walk you there…" I offered awkwardly, taking her gently by the elbow of her right arm, but she quickly declined, dodging my touch…

"No…I'm fine…" She said, taking a step back away from me as she held her injured arm close to her stomach with her right hand "Maybe you could…" She hesitated to say and ducked her face "…tell Nicky to help me…" Another blow hit me square in the pit of my stomach when it dawned on me that not only she didn't want to be in _that_ room, but also, she didn't want to be with me…she didn't want my company, not even to take her to her old room. I could not deny that her rejection was awfully painful, but what else could I expect from her? Was not that what I wanted just a moment ago? Her contempt? She waited patiently for me to say something, giving my mind time to grasp around what she had meant…

"Alright…" I agreed with difficulty "I'll go find Nicky…"

"Thank you…" She whispered shyly, refusing to look up…

Without words, I went to look for Nicky. She was surprised to see me after so many days, so I had to beg her not to ask any further questions and to take Piper to her former room. I promised her that I would explain everything to her later and told her to look for me in the library, where I waited. She appeared a couple of hours later, opening the door cautiously…

"Alex?" She asked hesitantly, waiting for me to invite her in…

"Come in…" I was sitting in my usual chair in front of the fireplace, mesmerized with the dance of the flames… "How is she?" I asked her without diverting my eyes from the fire…

"I don't know Alex…" She said as I sensed her walking closer to me "I don't think she is fine with everything that happened to her…" Of course it was a stupid question for me to ask

"I guess she told you everything…"

"She did…" She plopped down on the armchair next to me "I'm sorry Alex…"

"She hates me…" I barely uttered

"She doesn't hate you! It's not possible…" Nicky assured me "That girl loves you like I never thought someone could love another person…"

"Then she is a complete fool…or a hopeless masochist" I said with self disdain

"She is neither of those…" I could hear the critical edge in her voice "Is that what you think? That she is out of her mind because she loves you?" I didn't answer "Are you ready to talk?" She inquired after my silence, but, where could I start explaining _everything_ to her? She waited patiently perceiving my willingness to speak…

"I'm dying…Nicky" I decided to speak the truth, without nuances or double meanings. I had to stop pretending everything was fine, I had to stop lying and accept my inexorable doom

"Ohhh Alex…" She breathed out sympathetically "I know you are feeling awfully for everything that has happened…and yes, you've fucked up a big deal but…nobody has ever died of a _heartbreak_ …besides…this is only temporary…Piper just needs some time alone to think about…"

"Nicky stop…" I cut her nonsense chatter off and turned my face to one side to finally look at her. She was expectantly waiting for me to speak. I clenched my jaw inhaling deeply to exhale again the words "I'm dying…" I repeated with firmness counting the seconds while assessing the changes in her face after the words were spoken. Her initial gesture was one of total incomprehension, disbelief. She gaped repeatedly fighting to say something as her face gradually contorted into a mixed grimace of pain and bafflement…

"But that's…" She scoffed bitterly "That can't be true…" She denied fervently and got up to scream out loud to no one in particular "That's impossible!" I remained in my seat waiting for her initial shock to falter "What the hell are you talking about, Alex!?" She then directed her anger at me…

"Calm down…" I tried to appease her

"Calm down!?" She spitted with hatred as her eyes began leaking big tears "Is that why you've been acting so strangely lately?" Precisely that afflicted and raged face was what I had been trying to avoid

"Yes…" I admitted feeling her grief as my own "Please Nicky…let me explain…" I stood up and walked towards her hesitantly, expecting her rejection, but she actually shortened the distance between us and grasped me in an inescapable embrace that I regretted not having shared more in the past "Shhhh…it's alright…everything's going to be alright Nicky…" I spoke softly as she unloaded a powerful burst of tears

"How?" She said with her face buried in my clothes "How is it going to be alright?" She demanded to know between uncontrollable heavy cries, clinging to my clothes

"Take your time…" I continued comforting her until her sobbing trembles came almost to a stop. Little by little she released me and stepped back to wipe her face with her hands brusquely…

"I'm sorry…" She uttered diffidently with embarrassment "I just…I can't…"

"I know…I know…" I took her face between my hands caringly, sure that of having the ability to cry, my face would probably be swollen like hers… "I'm sorry too…" I told her with a sad smile stroking her wet cheeks with my thumbs

"I don't understand…" She kept shaking her head in denial "How is it possible? How are you so sure of it?" I took a deep breath and invited her to take a seat, since explaining everything from the beginning was going to take a long time…

I began telling her about my encounter with the strange creature that lived in the caves, centuries ago, shortly after I had become the _warden…_ I told her about the prophecy, about the end of darkness and how light would be responsible for it. Then I explained to her how I had come to figure out that Piper was the light that I had been dreading for so many years and how everything started going downhill since then. My necessity to kill to replenish my strength, my internal battle with the darkness that kept attempting to encourage me to kill her, threatening, lurking; the attack of the beast in the woods and how Piper had saved _Charm_ with her magic…Of how four days ago I had been so blinded for the sense of strength within me after having replenished my forces that I had not noticed that I was hurting her when I bit her with playful intentions…

"Then…all this time, you've known…" She dared to speak only after listening attentively to the whole story. She had a face of struggle, trying to process all the information I has just given her...

"Yes…"

"You've carried all this on your own?" She reproached me only lightly

"Nicky…I didn't understand very well how it was going to happen or what was going to happen…I still don't understand to be honest…"

"So Piper's magic… _harms_ you…" I nodded "Who is the masochist now?" She retorted with a snort, but she was not meaning it as a joke "You really must love her…" She concluded devastatingly

"Which is why she can't know about this Nicky…" I said with utmost urgency "Whatever happens…she can't ever know that she's responsible of my…" I trailed off and continued "And she can't know about her magic either...she could become a target...magic is highly envied"

"Of course…I understand _that_ Alex but…eventually you'll have to explain to her what's going on with you…" That's what I feared the most, above my own demise "Maybe you can avoid mentioning that it's her fault, but this is something you can't hide"

"I don't think I can do it…" I whispered and she held my hand with hers…

"You don't have to do it _now_ …" She assured me and then stopped as if thinking about something "Maybe you won't have to do it at all…"

"What do you mean?"

"The prophecy says the light would be the end of _darkness_ …that does not mean that _you_ have to die…"

"Nicky…" I told her with wary tone, I did not want her to make up wrong assumptions and harbor false expectations " _Darkness_ is the only thing that nourishes my body…without it, nothing can sustain me…" I explained softly "I belong entirely to it…if the darkness extinguishes, my own being will vanish with it" She pursed her lips stubbornly thinking about something…

"But there's got to be a way!" She got up hastily and began walking in circles, only stopping to talk

"There is not…" I insisted, knowing that Nicky would never accept my reasoning…

"What if we pay a visit to the witch of the cave? Do you think she is still in there?"

"That will no help…I already visited her after realizing that Piper was the light she had spoken to me about…" I explained calmly

"What did she say?" She urged to know

"She told me I had only two options…" I remembered her words and recited them to Nicky "To quench the cause of my weakness…or to surrender…"

"To quench?" Nicky inquired intrigued…

"To kill her…is the only thing that can save me…" I smirked at the cosmic joke "As you will understand, _that_ is not an option, so…I surrendered…" I had found the decision so easy to carry out the moment I had made it, and I would never regret my choice "At least I can say I've lived every second with her to the fullest…" She slowly seemed to be grasping her mind around the reality…

"What about…" She tried to refute, but I knew from the desperation in her voice that she did not have many arguments left "What about the prisoners? You said their deaths bring you relief…they make you stronger…right?"

"Nicky…" I whispered knowing in advance to where she was going...

"Then kill them…! Kill them all if necessary…they don't deserve to be alive anyway…" She shouted with contempt

"You are saying that now because you are angered…but you and I know very well that that's not something you really mean…" I reasoned with her

"You've been doing it for a while…then just keep doing it!" She demanded blinded by frustration

"I can't Nicky! I must stop! The more I kill, relief is greater, yes! But it's becoming more and more brief every time" Just explaining how I felt was exhausting "The more I kill, darkness only gains ground within me, imposing itself above who I really am and I...sometimes...I can't separate my own self from the darkness, the line that separates us becomes blurrier with each death…" And she knew it…she knew it very well because that last month she must have noticed the changes in me…my lack of empathy, my bad temper…"I don't want to lose myself in the darkness to the point of being able to hurt those I want the most…" As it had happened four days ago "If I am to die, I want to still be me…" I realized I had made up my mind even before meditating on the matter…

"If you are asking me to sit idly by while you die…then you don't know me at all…" She spitted each word around a hiss of derision getting closer to me as I watched her from my seat. When she ended saying the last word, she spun around and walked away from me hastily…

"Nicky!" I called her but she did not stop. She closed the door of the library behind her with a deafening thud that almost made the shelves heavies with books rumble…

I did not go after her, knowing that it would be better to give her some time to assimilate the news. I couldn't expect a different reaction from Nicky; I had even expected it to be worse. Alone in the library, late at night, I had the feeling of being living in the past…a past that was not very distant, a past of just a few months ago, when everyone went to sleep and I was left alone with my thoughts in that same chair to observe the blaze in the fireplace. But how much my life had changed since then, because after centuries of following the same routine, I realized that I could no longer endure loneliness, not after having shared the nights with _her_ , even if only accompanied by her gentle and steady breathing, comforted by the sole warmth of her irresponsive body and the soft murmur of her heartbeat…old habits replaced by new ones, and as a creature of habits, I prowled in search of satisfying mine.

I was already standing in front of the familiar door of her old room, anxiously looking to hear any sound that told me she was in there…It did not take me long to register the soft lament and the sniffing noises; she was crying. All the strength within me opposed against my wish to enter and embrace her, but I knew that would be a great violation of her own desire to be alone; I had to respect her wishes, so I stayed immovable on the other side of the door, with my forehead pressed against it and hating all the barriers that stood between us, not only the physical ones…

As the night passed by, her sobbing ceased until fading into the distinctive whisper of her regular breathing. She had finally fallen asleep, perhaps overcome with fatigue and sadness, and only then I dared to trespass without opening the door as to not make any noise. I was close to deliver a grunt of irritation when I noticed the lighting candles on the bedside table. I walked towards the bed, barely touching the floor and knelt on the floor right in front of her: she was lying on her right side. She had never looked so vulnerable. Her face was congested from so much crying and the trail of the tears was still fresh on her cheeks. She was hugging a pillow and her bandaged arm was awkwardly extended over it, as it probably hurt her a lot. But at least her facial gestures lacked the loathing I had seen directed towards me in our last argument. She seemed at peace…I allowed myself to watch her sleep after blowing out the candles and carefully throwing a blanket over her body, since she had fallen asleep with her gown on and had not gotten under the sheets. The soft and dim light of the dawn took me by surprise and I hurried to leave before she woke up, not without first placing the lightest of kisses on her temple and went back to the library. Hours later I received an unexpected visit…for the way of breaking into the room without knocking, I would have thought it was Nicky…

"Lift your ass off that chair and go fix things with Piper…" I did not have to turn around to see who it was. The tough accent of the voice was unequivocal. I exhaled deeply…as if I needed more scolding at that moment…everybody seemed to go against me, or maybe I was the one going against everybody...

"She does not want to see me Red…" I mouthed exasperated, tired...

"I don't care…" She walked around the room to face me and she stood obnoxiously in front of me with a stance that warned me she was not going to stop until I did something "She does not let me in to bring her breakfast…she has barely eaten in days…!" She argued worriedly

"And what am I supposed to do? To shove the food down her throat?" I retorted exhausted and she glared me with a deadly look…

"No, you stupid creature…" She had never dared to talk to me in that way, which was proof enough of how pissed off she was "I want you to go talk to her because you are the only one she is going to let in…" She hissed

"I think you missed the part where I told you that she doesn't want to see me…" I retorted with bitter sarcasm which caused her to roll her eyes and grunt in frustration…

"I think she will highly appreciate seeing you try…" I frowned at her trying to make sense of what she had just said "Besides, don't you have to heal her wounds?" She asked winking at me with complicity, as if splaying the ground for me with the perfect excuse, because no, I did not need to check on her wounds, at least no yet; with the poultice I had applied on her arm, the bandages could last for at least another day. She began walking away as she continued rambling on "The most I know about sutures I've learned from cooking stuffed animals…" She scoffed at last before leaving the room in her characteristic rushed walking manner…

Encouraged with the encounter, I took the medicines and ran after her. She threw me a sided glance with a smirk on her lips as I met her pace at the stairs and on mutual and silent accord we headed to Piper's room. Red stopped and leaned against the wall next to the door and rushed me to knock with a motion of her head… _knock knock knock…_ I did it suddenly discouraged, all my previous bravado gone…

"Red…for the hundredth time…I'm not hungry!" The obstinacy in her voice, that I enjoyed so much, brought an easy smile to my lips. I looked at Red and we shared a gesture of annoyance mixed with amusement. Red cheered me to say something and pointed to her forearm, hinting me to bring the wound up…

"It's me…" I dared to say out loud and waited to hear something from the other side for a couple of seconds "Alex…" I added my name unnecessarily and I felt slightly stupid for doing so; obviously she knew who it was. It was utterly silence inside the room. Red pushed me to go on tapping on my shoulder "I…I… _ammm_ …" I stuttered initially but at last I was able to order my words "I know that you don't want to see anyone right know… _especially me_ …" I acknowledged with sadness "And I honestly want to respect your wishes and give you all the time and the space you need, but _ammmm_ …" I got short of words again "I really need to check on your wounds…change the bandages and so on…" I delivered and waited again for some kind of response… _nothing…_ I began to lose hope. There was not going to be way to get to her, no matter what I said "It's really important Piper…it could get infected and get much worse than it already is…" _Come on, come on…_ I kept repeating in my mind as I heard her insecure steps on the wooden floor. She walked slowly towards the door, until I could see the shadow of her filtering through the door´s slit on the floor. I knew I almost had her "We don't…we don't have to talk at all if that's what you wish…" It could be like when I watched her sleeping at night. We didn't have to interact so that her sole presence would calm my need for her "Please… _let me in_ …" I begged at last and decided that I would stop trying for the moment, but just as I was going to walk away from there in defeat, I heard a soft thud on the door and notice the doorknob tilting ever so slightly. The whole situation was oddly familiar, like returning to the starting point when once I had to fight to earn her trust and win her over…when I had pleaded her through that same door to let me in so that we could talk…

"Fine!" She agreed petulantly and all Red and I could do was contain the laughter, as we both knew deep down that her tenacious stubbornness had a limit, a weak point that I had began to understand that only I could hit…

 **P.S.:** Remember to take a look at the new story, it's called "You and I, unplanned" (I still don't know what to think of the name, honestly I think it sucks hahaha, I've changed it like a hundred times and I haven't been able to find one that I truly like...but I won't change it anymore) Let me know what you think of it ;) and if you want me to continue with it...although you must know that my biggest priority is to finish THIS one ;)


	51. Chapter 51

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** No comments, I'm so tired guys XD. Enjoy the chapter! See you in two weeks ;)

 **CHAPTER LI (Piper's POV)**

"Red…for the hundredth time…I'm not hungry!" I said exasperated by Red's insistence…

"It's me…" My heart missed a beat at the sound of her voice "Alex…" She voiced and I couldn't help but smile at her silliness… _Who else would it be?_ "I…I… _ammm_ …" Her voice sounded so far away through the door that I suddenly hated that piece of wood that stood between us "I know that you don't want to see anyone right know… _especially me_ …" She continued diffidently, as she rarely was "And I honestly want to respect your wishes and give you all the time and the space you need, but _ammmm_ …" It was taking her so much work to talk "I really need to check on your wounds…change the bandages and so on…It's really important Piper…it could get infected and get much worse than it already is…" I began drifting towards the door, as if drawn by her voice and came to a stop only when I couldn't advance more, interrupted by the door "We don't…we don't have to talk at all if that's what you wish…" I closed my eyes as if by doing so I could hear her voice clearer "Please… _let me in_ …" And those last words made my resolution crumble. They wore me down and made me give up. I pressed my forehead on the door, debating whether to open the door and let her in or not…my hand got ahead my mind because it was already perched determinedly on the door's handle…

"Fine!" I admitted at last, overcome by my ambiguous feelings…I had asked her for time and space, because the night before I could not even see her in the face. But spending the night without her after our misunderstanding, proved to be harder than I would have imagined. All I wanted in that moment of sadness was feeling the strong security of being in her arms, even when she was the cause of my desolation; ironically, she was the only one who could appease my grief. I opened the door ever so slowly until we were face to face. Our eyes met for a moment, but very quickly, she turned her gaze away from me, like she could not bear to look at me. She did not dare to take a single step although clearly I was opening the door for her to walk in the room. She stood still and said nothing, waiting for my verbal permission… "But I am not hungry" I stated "So you can leave, Red" I had not seen her yet, but for some reason I knew she was there, behind the wall. As expected, Red showed up before me, next to Alex

"You have to eat!" The woman complained frustrated…

"Red…let it go…" Alex said in a conciliatory manner "She will eat when she feels like it" And turned her attention to the woman by her side to glare at her meaningfully…Red did not refute the subtle order. She breathed out a puff of air that camouflaged a grumble of complaint, turned around and started walking away clearly irritated. We were left alone, standing motionless. She had her face ducked and she was holding some bits and pieces awkwardly in her hands, still waiting for me to be the first to say something…

"Come in…" I instructed her stepping aside. She walked cautiously without looking up…

"Take a seat…" Her voice was barely a whisper. I went to the armchair, near the small fireplace, whose fire was beginning to die. She followed me behind, and knelt by my left side once I was sitting. I extended my injured arm over the armrest, without waiting for directions and she immediately started unwrapping the bandages, delicately, barely touching me…

She had kept her word and did not speak while attending to my wounds. The only words she uttered were questions to know if the things she was doing me hurt and if I was alright every time small gasping sounds escaped from my mouth. I noticed that it was taking her a long time to clean the wound, and wondered if she was doing it on purpose to spend more time with me; I thought she was…and honestly, I had no problem with that. I found her presence always so heartwarming. I wanted to ask her if she had been that night in my room; when I woke up that morning, I had the strange feeling of smelling her in the air, besides, I did not remember having extinguished the candles or having covered myself with the blankets, but that was not the question that came out of my lips in the end

"Where have you been these days?" I asked unconsciously without own consent, as my mind had been too busy observing all of her. Her face was afflicted, with its characteristic deep crevice in between her eyebrows and her lips drawn into a flat expressionless line. I also noticed the shadows under her eyes, as if the fatigue of the insomnia of centuries had affected her only then. Her usual flawless hair seemed tangled here and there; she was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing since the night she disappeared…her black long sleeved shirt, leather pants and her usual riding boots up to her knees…the mud stains on her disheveled clothes aroused my interest, which was perhaps the reason why I asked without thinking…

"Why do you want to know?" She retorted without eyeing me. I had sensed some defensive intonation in the way she had spoken the question, but almost immediately, she softened her tone and asked me differently "I mean…do you really want to know?" However, she never looked up. I thought about her words for a moment, and yes, I really wanted to know, I _needed_ to know…

"I do…" I sighed. She began wrapping my arm again with clean clothes and spoke softly…

"If I tell you that I spent four days curled up in a hole in the dirt…would you believe me?" The image upset me deeply and I would swear my heart broke beyond repair to think about how big her misery had been to spend four days like that; but what hurt me the most was her question at the end of her explanation… _Would you believe me?..._ As if she thought I did not trust her anymore…

I did not answer; the pain in my soul had taken away my ability to speak. She finished arranging the clean bandages in silent, after which, taking me off guard, she brought her hand to my neck tugging at the edge of my gown a little. I froze knowing what she was doing…she was looking for the wound her teeth had caused. Her jaw was clenched with harshness. She smeared her fingers on an ointment and applied a layer on the bite. It was already quite healed; only a small tenderness remained and the surrounding skin was still bruised around the mark of her teeth. After that, she picked up the dirty cloths and stoop up…I followed her face with my eyes from my sitting position. Finally, she locked her eyes with mine from above and how much I hated the sadness in them…

"I really don't want to tell you what you have to do but…you should try to eat something…you could get sick" She said gently and before my silence, she turned around and started walking towards the door

"You can tell Red that I will have breakfast…" I voiced shyly making her stop. I got to perceive a small nod of her head from behind, and she resumed her steps, closing the door behind her…

The awkward situation, full of silences, would repeat itself that same night. She would come to check my wounds without exchanging words. The only one to speak that night, it was me, when I dared to say a light comment about her clothes, after noticing that she was still wearing the same dirty garments…

"Perhaps you should consider a bath and a change of clothes…" I said tenderly, with only a hint of humor. For a split second, her unwavering stern face crumbled to be replaced with a soft and subtle smile, that even when brief, it warmed my soul tremendously.

The next morning she came back, repeating the same routine, but that time there was no small chatter. She came in silence, and so she left; not a word was spoken, but I did notice her clean clothes and hair faultless as always. Near dusk, we found ourselves again immersed in the ever-increasing silence. I thought I could not stand the situation for too long. Every time she left the room, I was more and more buried in sadness. I had to talk to her, I had to fix things and it was in my hands to take the first step, since it was me who asked for time and space.

That second night, I was in my bed unable to fall asleep despite being extremely tired for so many restless nights. I could not contain myself anymore. I knew what I needed, and why should I refrain from it? I kept thinking until I finally made a decision and called her willfully with all my being deprived of her. I was lying on my right side, in a curled up position, and I didn't need to turn around to know that she was already there with me. I had come so perceptive of her presence. My heart grew excited even before my nose could register her faint smell and my skin could sense the slight change in the room's temperature…

"You call me…" She said hoarsely from behind. I didn't know what to say, how to start a conversation…

"I miss you…" I whispered profoundly

"I miss you too, Pipes…" I could not see her, but the grief in her voice did not need a face

"Stay with me tonight…" I didn't ask, I simply said as an instruction

"Alright…" She agreed shortly after, like she had no other choice but to obey my wishes, but I couldn't feel her coming closer. I sighed in defeat and patted the empty space in front of me on the mattress; a silent invitation. Only then it's when I sensed her walking hesitantly around the bed until she appeared in front of my eyes. I watched her expectantly, as she cautiously got into the bed, mirroring my position, deliberately leaving a gap between us, as wide as the size of the small bed allowed, and that insignificant distance still hurt horrendously. I didn't think twice before shortening the space, scooting closer until our knees collided. I took a deep breath, wanting to drown myself in her sweet essence as I stared at her clear eyes…

"How is your arm?" She asked me reaching my arm with her fingers to stroke it sweetly above the bandages

"Better…" I smiled slightly and then I got something out of my chest that did not leave me breathe "I'm sorry I didn't believe you…" I merely sighed causing her to frown intensely "You warned me about her…you told me to keep her away from me and I…I thought you were being paranoid and unreasonable…" She clenched her jaw and her nostrils fluttered with anger

"Don't apologize for that…please" She said through gritted teeth, but I knew her sudden rage was not directed towards me. Gradually, her face became softer and we fell into a pleasant silence. She began caressing my cheek with her hand and the simple touch appeased me substantially "You have not been sleeping well" She pointed out passing her thumb lightly over my eyelid "You should try to rest a little…" I nodded into the palm of her hand as it cupped the left side of my face

"Hug me" I almost pleaded muted with weariness. She put her arms around me and cradled my face against her chest, where I nuzzled the way to her naked skin at the opening of the shirt's collar, to inhale her purest fragrance that assuaged my deepest fears "We are going to be fine, right? You and I…" I asked desperately against the cold patch of skin below her neck…

"Everything will be fine…" Her raspy voice saying those words was all I needed

"I don't want you to kill again, Alex…please…" I had not realized that I was crying until I heard my own voice coming out in a low howl. Her hold on me became tighter, more certain…and with the same firmness she pledged…

"I won't…I will never do it again Piper…" I clung to her shirt as I did to her oath "I promise you…I will be better for you…I'll be worthy of you, I swear" And I believed her once more, as I would do as many times as necessary, even though she had told me that she would disappoint me over and over again, but I needed to believe her, even if it was a reckless thing to do, because the alternative was to get away from her and I didn't think I had the strength or the will to do it. If there was something that I was completely sure of in my life, it was of my love for Alex and that my life without her would not make any sense. I could not even spend a couple of days without talking to her. So giving her up, it was not an option _; I would fight for her, I would fight for us_ , I thought with resolve as I sniffed in an attempt to keep the tears at bay " _Shhhh…_ go to sleep…I'm here with you…" She spoke soothingly

That night I got to rest like I had not done it in days. When I woke up, all my senses were occupied by her. I felt my face buried in her hair, my nostrils invaded with her distinct fragrance and my hands in contact with bits of cold skin. I wanted to stay like that forever, my body only aware of her, as if nothing else outside that bed mattered to me.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked me tenderly, her fingers combing my hair with familiarity as soon as she was aware of my wakefulness

"I always do when you are with me…" I admitted without shyness, snuggling my face impossibly further into the crook of her neck

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes…but I don't want to move…" I feared to interrupt our peaceful moment, like everything would be again awkward and awful between us if we left that bed "Can we stay like this a little more?"

"We'll do whatever you want, Pipes…" She assured me, burying her nose into my hair at the crown of my head…

And so the next days passed, she always subjected to my wishes. She kept her distance all the time, only daring to come to me when I required it. If I decided to eat in the kitchen, she did not take for granted that I wanted her company. If I went to my room at night, she only appeared when insomnia forced me to call her by my side. I even got to feel a little guilty because she seemed always so available to fulfill even the littlest of my requests without expecting anything in return; she had left everything in my hands, but it would take me a while to trust her again fully, to open my soul again to her. My feeling of guilt only got bigger after a conversation I had with Nicky, in which she implored me to go back with Alex as she told me that Alex was suffering a big deal. I had a little argument with her because it was unfair how she suddenly seemed to be completely on Alex's side, as if I was responsible for what had happened, like I was not suffering awfully with the entire situation. It was strange because normally Nicky would stay in the middle, never siding with none of us…I had to ask her to leave me alone and after that small discussion our friendship got a little tense, to make matters worse. Nevertheless, I kept thinking about Nicky's motives, even bearing in mind that maybe I had been too harsh with Alex…Why all of a sudden I was the one to blame? But, maybe that was the problem, perhaps I was the one to blame because despite never agreeing with Alex's ways of doing justice, I had fallen in love with her, always trying to ignore her dark side, holding the thought that my love could change her. My mind did not stop working not even for a single second, thinking deeply about it, until I came to decide to make a small improvement.

It was only two weeks after she had promised me that she was never going to kill again, that I dared to give her a light goodnight kiss on her lips, wanting to prolong it, to push it further to the point where we found ourselves naked with our limbs entangled; but I was not yet ready to feel that again with her, although I dreamed about it almost every night. The next day, I decided that it was stupid to prolong the situation anymore. She had spent almost every night with me, or I had asked her to eat with me very often or to accompany me to take a walk through the castle…Although those moments we had shared together always seemed to be overshadowed by all the things that had happened, and our conversations sometimes were too formal, lacking the usual spark that we kept leaping between us in the past, which is what I missed the most; our complicity, our laughs and banters, and of course…our substantial closeness. How much I yearned to be consumed by her, how much I missed the long nights when we made love until leaving our bodies wholly worn out, and those moments in which our souls joined in an unfathomable way when she looked into my eyes after having devoting her mouth to my lips. Motivated by my need to feel full again in her arms, I decided to let her know that I was ready to return to our room. Because, despite the horrible recent memory I had of that place, it was still the most special room where so many wonderful things had happened, and I refused to give up those memories just for a bad one, even when dreadful. That morning I didn't ask her to stay with me; I needed to mull about the matter. It was after having breakfast with Red, Nicky and Lorna that I went to our room, to find the door of the library open; that's where I found her. She got up hastily from her armchair as soon as she noticed my presence at the door…

"Piper…" Her face lit up at once, and I couldn't help the warmth from spreading from my chest to my extremities. She looked so happy and relieved to see me. I smiled at her tenderly and walked closer "What do you need? Do you want something?" She asked fretfully, anticipating my wishes. I came to stop a mere step in front of her and caught her face in my hands to tell her with utmost urgency

"I need _you_ …I want _you_ " I said as she watched me with extremely clear eyes full of fondness as I kept talking with exhaustion "I want us to fight our way back to normalcy…back to how we were before everything got so complicated…" I would curse forever the time we ran into that creature; everything had gone so bad since then "I'm so tired of missing you…"

"I'm tired too, Pipes…" She breathed out as if she had been holding her breath for years. She brought her hands to both sides of my waist and pulled me closer to her so that she could press her forehead on mine, until our eyes could almost touch "I miss you so much…" She declared with grief that I wished to erase from her face, so my lips went to look for hers to engage them into a sealing kiss that promised her that everything would be alright from then on. She behaved passively during the kiss, granting me control over it, how she had been doing all those days, leaving every advance and decision utterly to me…

"I'm ready to go back with you…to our room" I told her after breaking the delicious rendezvous of our lips…

"Are you sure?" She asked me thoughtfully to which I nodded with unbending resolve…

And so we tried to start again. Nonetheless, things between us were still a bit undermined. Getting back into our routine was hard, as our encounters were filled with uncomfortable moments, awkward silences and mentions of certain topics that evoked bitter moments; however, there remained the firm will on our part to win back what we had lost as soon as possible, and little by little, it happened.

The first three days, we had as little contact as possible. Every time I changed my clothes or got ready to take a bath, she deliberately occupied herself on insignificant tasks to give me some privacy. On the fourth night, I was the one who favored what would be the final reconciliation. I put on the necklace that she had given me, which I had not worn since the night she gave it to me and I began getting ready to take a bath. She offered to go to the kitchen to bring the dinner to our room, like needing to escape from the place while I bathed. I stopped her before she left, grabbing her by her hands and she had a face of surprise as I nailed my eyes on hers…

"Are you not going to bathe?" I asked her, subtly proposing her to join me

"Later…" She replied, and her eyes flickered to the piece of jewelry on my neck...

"No…" I denied around a whisper feeling my cheeks burning with heat while I clarified her "I meant…with me…" I saw her eyes instantly gleaming with excitement, but she kept a composed stance…

"If…that's what you want…" She said carefully, always reminding me that I was the one in control of the situation

"I would not be asking you if I didn't…" I lowered my sight to look at the portion of skin that the neckline of her shirt allowed me to see, and my fingers started working on unbuttoning the front of her garment.

I felt her gaze on me boring into my soul as I slid the shirt over her shoulders and down her arms with my hands, touching every bit of skin I could in the process, until leaving her torso completely bare. Her breathing became grave and the muscles of her abdomen twitched with anticipation while my hands traveled the whole expanse of her torso, from her shoulders, passing ever so slightly above her breasts so that I could only feel her hardened nipples against my palms, to trace my fingers along her belly and finally reaching the front of her pants to untie the cord that kept them in place. I got to my knees to remove her boots and tugged her pants down with her undergarments along her pale legs. My mouth watered at the sight of the dark patch of hair in front of me at the remembrance of what was between her legs and that I hadn't tasted in so long. I got up feeling already a little shaky and only then I dared to face her. My stomach grumbled with hunger at her gesture of craving; by the look in her face I knew that she was making a great effort to hold back. I got rid of my white silk robe in a swift move and the coldness of her body bit my skin nicely.

None of us dared to say a word, afraid to disturb the moment. I took her right hand with mine and turned around to start walking to the bathroom, dragging her with me, determined to put an end to the never ending awkwardness between us. To engage ourselves again in what was a ritual for us made us restore our broken bonds. The words that night were not necessary; our tender caresses and intense stares spoke volumes; they made up our own language, in which words were obsolete, because she did not have to ask me when she took me to bed straight from the bathroom; my lips were already busied expressing my wishes in a different way but just as effective. She let us fall onto bed, leaving me on top of her, a clear indication for me to lead the encounter…

I occupied myself a good time savoring her fleshy lips after so much time of missing them. I licked them, nibbled them and sucked them with devotion, as if they were going to disappear at some point. The response of her lips was submissive; I knew she was suppressing her true impulses, but I could not complain about her kindness. Her icy hands traveled ever so gently along my naked back leaving trails of burning skin on their way. She behaved more carefully than usual, and although her tameness exasperated me, the memory of what had happened the last time we were in bed prevented me from encouraging her to hurry up, and for that reason, I also tried to calm my cravings adopting a more serene rhythm. After having kissed her for a long time, my lungs prayed for air so I had to break the kiss reluctantly. While I regained my breath I indulged myself looking into her clear eyes that gleamed with fondness like never before; I smiled at the beautiful sight below me…

"My Alex…" I sighed still short of air, caressing her hair with my right hand

"My Pipes…" She retorted snaring my waist with her arms to bring me impossibly closer to her body. My center got in direct contact with the cold skin of her thigh and from my mouth emanated a deep moan of a pleasure that had long been asleep "Don't ever stop loving me…" She added above my sounds with a growl of great urgency, like a desperate prayer "I could not stand it if you do…" Her gestures were painfully tinted with sorrow and fear

"I could never…" I promised her reassuringly wishing to erase forever the affliction of her face and voice as I started kissing her fondly again "You are everything to me" I unburdened the statement as if it weighed tons "Everything…" I repeated again and again between kisses, placing my thigh against her core as our hips engaged themselves in a slow dance so many times performed with our bodies swayed in sync as one being until losing our breaths amid moans and pants…

At dawn, I woke up feeling my whole body full of bliss; I was overwhelmed by the feeling of contentment that the passionate night had brought. It had been so intense to be loved by her again after so many misunderstandings and estrangement between us, but my body immediately recognized the way back to her, a path that once found was impossible to forget.

"Mhmmm…" I murmured against her skin as she tightened her hold around my torso and heard her raspy chuckle reverberating inside her chest…

"Good morning…"

"Good morning…" I said around a smile, burying myself deeper into the crook of her neck, a silent request for us to stay like that all day if possible. At that precise moment of bliss I could only be sure that everything would go well from then on…it was just a matter of reinforcing our bonds again…

"I think you would not object to a breakfast in bed, am I wrong?" She offered, always ahead my thoughts…I propped myself up on my elbow to see her in the face…

"That would be perfect…" I told her giving her a deep kiss.

It was so easy to resume our routine and mutual habits. The following days she would set aside her responsibilities to be with me all the time. We killed the hours in the library reading and discussing books; in the attic, while she composed beautiful melodies for me on the piano because after failed attempts of teaching me how to play it, I had told her that I'd prefer hearing her playing for me. And of course, we spent endless hours in our room, mostly in bed, wearing down our yearns. I noticed the changes in her; I noticed a real desire to change for the better and keep her promises. But I could not help but notice other slight alterations in her personality. She seemed guarded all the time, pretty reserved in each of her actions; she became increasingly tame, unvarying… _monotonous_. Her eyes were distinctively clear, but they began lacking their characteristic spark of excitement. Her lips were always willing to receive me, however they did not move with the same enthusiasm. Her hands did not hesitate to travel along my body, but her movements seemed so measured. She kept smiling at me, however, her smiles began little by little to move away from reaching her eyes. I thought it would take her a while to go back to being as before, I thought maybe she behaved like that so she would not get carried away like the night she had hurt me. After a week of witnessing the subtle changes, one morning I proposed her to do something different besides being locked inside the castle, sure that the outdoors would do us good to both…

"How about going for a ride? I would like getting fresh air" I said timidly after breakfast, fearing her reaction. I had not left the castle for weeks because she had been too obsessed about my safety, although after everything that happened, I would never again question her reservations…

"Pipes…" She began hinting refusal "I honestly don't know if it's safe…" She took my face between her hands and my fingers went to grasp her hips to pull her closer.

"We don't have to get that far, we can stay on the roads close to the castle…" I said with pleading tone, knowing she always had a bad time denying things to me "I just need some air…the beasts are dead anyway…at the first sign of danger, we will be back immediately…" I could see how little by little I was undermining her determination "Please?" I pouted my lips and looked into her eyes. She clenched her jaw prominently and exhaled deeply through her nose. I smiled in advance because I knew I had her…

"If I say we are leaving…I will not admit discussions…" She negotiated sternly, so I made a poor attempt to compose my face and get on a serious manner

"I swear…" After I voiced solemnly, she displayed a breathtakingly grin at me that assured me that she still kept her spark. I did not take long to taste it with a fervent kiss of gratitude, after which we got dressed to go riding.

Riding always recomposed my soul and mind. It was something I had done since I was little; I almost learned to ride a horse before I could walk. In my past life it was the only thing that gave me a certain sense of freedom, like the feeling of liberty I was experiencing as I rode _Charm_ with a light trot next to Alex in her marvelous black stallion. She was clearly on alert, looking around us cagily and always by my side, keeping me close at hand…

"Alex…could you calm down? We are supposed to enjoy the ride" I told her gently. She turned her face to see me and her serious face instantly faded to be replaced with a gesture of apology…

"I'm sorry…you are right" She smiled tenderly at me and recognized "I'm just a little nervous" I made my horse come to a halt and she did the same frowning at me

"If you want to, we can go back" I told her honestly, because the idea was to have a good time. I could not enjoy the ride if she was having a hard time. She seemed to ponder my suggestion for some seconds, but finally she softened her troubled face…

"No…let's just have a good time…" Despite she said it with a sincere smile, I knew she only was making an effort for me

"How about…" I began saying with significance "A race?" I finished the question with a playful smile

"A race?" She echoed mockingly and narrowed her eyes "To where?" She wonder doubtfully

"The northern clear, up to the big tree…" I proposed the finish point and she thought about it looking at the road in front of us. The place was fairly close to the castle, it was not like we were going to distance ourselves too much. The only reason why I had not started galloping, is that I did not want to worry her, so for the first time I waited until having her approval. I saw the right corner of her lips rising and before I could hint her intentions, she set her stallion to run at full speed, leaving me behind "You…" I muttered stunned and immediately I encouraged _Charm_ to run after her.

I could hear her laughter among the trees, but it would not last long because I was already on her heels. She kept looking back, over her shoulder, surely to make certain I was fine more than to defend her position on the lead. I was already very close to her; I wanted to overtake her but the road narrowed dangerously in some sections, so I would have to wait for the road to become wider, when we were closer to the clearing. I enjoyed so much her face of amusement every time she looked back at me. I hated to lose, but it was impossible to get mad for being losing while she was clearly enjoying greatly. We were already near the clear; I knew it because the dirt path became progressively wider and the trees were less dense on both sides of the road. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to beat her, but she seemed so cheerful that I decided to slow down and for once let her win…I entered the small circular clearing after her and she was already at the foot of the tree that served as a reference in that place for its overwhelming height; it must have been a splendid tree when alive…

"Do you have something to say?" She said playfully from across the clearing with a smug smirk

"Nope…" I uttered fighting hard to keep a silly smile from forming on my lips

"Do you think it was a fair race?" She said questioningly as she circled the perimeter of the clearing on horseback, while I stayed in the center on _Charm…_

"Yeah…" I snorted nonchalantly, knowing exactly what she was intending to do. She was trying to make a point, to show me that starting running before your opponent, as I always did, was cheating…

"Because…I started before you were ready" She came with her horse to position herself in front of me "So, I'm willing to admit that I won, because I cheated…" _You won because I let you win…_ I bit my tongue not to say it

"You won because you were faster than me…it is fine to lose once in a while…you know what I'm talking about, you lose all the time" I told her enjoying greatly her face of annoyance "I think it was a clean race, regardless"

"And I think I've told you that you are a lousy liar" She advanced with her horse until our bodies were aligned, she was facing south and I, north "And I want to kiss you, regardless…" She said leaning to her right side on her mount to approach me, from a little higher because her horse was taller; I propelled myself up with my legs to meet her lips in the middle and my heart was infinitely relieved to hint the usual zest on her lips that I thought lost. Probably our ride had not been a bad idea after all. I molded my lips impatiently to her demanding pace; unfortunately the intense kiss was interrupted because her horse moved slightly…I delivered a grunt of complaint and she shushed me quietly…

"Piper!" She managed to scream with warning tone before falling down from her horse, fulminated, to hit the ground with a loud _thud_ …

"Alex!" I screamed in horror without understanding what was happening. I got off my saddle in a swift movement and ran around my horse to find her in the ground, fighting to get on her knees with an arrow protruding from her chest…my legs fainted at the sight when I wanted to keep running towards her the few steps that separated us… "Alex…" I barely whispered as the sound of horses running towards us took me out of my shocked state. Three men in heavy armour suits broke into the clearing through the trees…

"For the King!" One shouted as he was already over me. I did not have time to react; the man stopped just a moment to pick me up with great ease and with a force I could not fight against. He placed me like a rag doll in front of him, with my legs hanging to one side "I've got the princess…!" The man announced to the other two that were already over Alex, who was still struggling to get up growling in fury and pain…

"Let me go!" I tried to escape from the man's grip, but it was useless… "Alex!" My eyes were glued to the form of her on the ground… _She can't die she can't die…_ I kept repeating waiting for her to stand up and unleash her rage against the knights…

"Kill it…!" The man who was holding me said and encouraged his horse to move forward while the other two pointed their loaded crossbows against _her_ …

"Noooooo!" I cried with despair, feeling useless "Don't!" I kept hitting the man's chest but I ended up hurting my hands with the metal armor that covered all his body and tears were running down my cheeks abundantly before the realization of not being able to do anything for her " _Aleeeeex!_ " I let out a strangled cry when I took one last look over the man's shoulder at the clearing before the tree line covered the sight. The last thing I got to see in the distance is the men discharging their arrows against her inert body flat on the ground… " _Aleeeeex_ …" I said her name one more time but my profuse crying muffled my voice…

"You are safe with me, My Princess, I will take you back home…" The man said, and for the first time in my life I felt the urge to kill…

"You will not be safe when she finds you…" I spitted with rage and I felt a vast satisfaction to imagine what Alex would do to him… _Warden….warden…_ I kept repeating so that she knew exactly where to find me. It worried me that several minutes passed and we still were moving away from the place at a light pace. The man seemed pretty sure of the way to follow… _She is not dead…she can't die, she can't die…warden…warden…warden!_

"It's done…" Another voice joined us. The other two men appeared behind us completely unscathed, I noticed "That _thing_ is dead My Lady…now you are safe" He continued saying when he reached our side

"No…" I breathed out since my lungs were incapable of holding the air within me. I felt I was hit in the middle of my chest and my stomach dropped dreadfully "No no noooo…" Again I struggled to escape "Let me goooo…" I pleaded

"Don't be afraid your highness…soon you'll be home" The stupid man tried to appease me as he did not understand my sorrow

"No…I need to see her…Please…" The pain in my chest took away my strength to keep fighting "We need to go back…"

"That's insane My Princess…" He retorted

"But I love her…" It was the last thing I got to say before losing my voice due to the unbearable pain that invaded my heart… _Warden, warden…_ I continued thinking as a prayer anyway, although while the seconds went by I was beginning to really believe that she was not going to appear after all…


	52. Chapter 52

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello! I have not forgotten about you this weekend...I'm updating a little late, but here it is a new chapter...enjoy! ;)

 **CHAPTER LII (Alex's POV)**

I heard the distinctive whisper of the arrow flying through the air but I had not time to react. It hit the center of my chest with such force that it made me fall over my horse. The pain was unbearable, but above it I could only thank that apparently I was the target and not her…

"Alex!" Piper screamed with shock and I knew she was coming my way. I made a great effort to shout at her to stay away from there, to run with her horse back to castle, but for the moment I was completely incapacitated to do anything…I couldn't even find my voice "Alex…" She called me again in a mere sigh… _Run you idiot! Run!..._ I wanted to tell her

"For the King!" A man said storming into the clearing with a horse. I could tell there were more men with him, but I couldn't lift my sight to see how many they were… "I've got the princess…!" I growled in anger wanting so badly to tear the man's hands for daring to lay his hands on her. At least it comforted me slightly to know that those men would not harm her if they came in the King's name; the ambush was surely a rescue mission to take Piper back to her kingdom, an extremely daring move…I was surprised that the King had carried out such an absurd quest; he had not looked like a reckless man to me the day I had met him…

"Let me go!" Piper opposed vehemently to the kidnapping. I would have liked to warn her not to resist, that I would soon find a solution, but I was lost at words and force… "Alex!" She kept calling me with despair as I continued struggling to at least stand up without success

"Kill it!" The man who was clearly in charge commanded and I felt the steps of the horses against the ground approaching me…

"Noooooo!" She shrieked distressingly "Don't!...Aleeeeex!" I felt her screams becoming more distant. They were taking her away from me and I could not do anything. I picked out above her fading cries the sound of the strings tensing above me; they were probably using crossbows, given the force of the first impact. I closed my eyes and waited for the fresh blows shot at point-blank range. I received two more arrows in my back that pierced my body to pin me against the ground, making it harder to even lift my torso from the dirt " _Aleeeeex…"_ I heard her and I knew that she must have been watching the dreadful scene of me being shot. I decided not to fight and stay motionless, with my limbs spread out and unresponsive…Maybe they would leave me alone if they thought I was dead

"Is it dead?" One of them asked the other with trembling voice… _warden…warden…_ Piper invoked me with urgency

"Let's shoot it again just in case…" The second man proposed and I cursed because of course they would shoot again for good measure. While I waited for the new round of arrows I knew would hit me, I focused on gathering every scrap of strength that could be left in my weakened body to make use of my diluted powers… _thud…thud…_ they fired the new charge against my back, nailing me further against the ground. It was extremely difficult not to emit a growl of pain…

"We should go now…" The first man with the strained voice suggested

"Maybe we should take its head…like a souvenir"

"We? You do it…I don't have intentions to get closer to that thing…" _This thing is going to snap your fragile neck like a little twig…_ I thought savoring the image

"You fucking coward…" The first guy muttered as he got off his horse to walk next to me. He kicked my head with the tip of his boot to be sure and I heard the rumor of the metal coming out of its leather sheath…I collected all the force I could to move some branches and divert their attention, since obviously I could not let him to try to cut off my head…he could not have done it anyway, but he could cause me more damage "What was that?" The one who was determined to take my head as a trophy inquired with dread pausing for a moment his quest of taking my head

"I don't know…it came from the trees…" The other was clearly scared…I allowed myself to smile a little in satisfaction and I used my magic again, that time, the noise of the dead branches was more thunderous "Forget the head! Let's just get out of here!"

"Damn it…" The man regretted giving up the trophy listening to the wise advice of his partner. Instantly, they both put their horses to run…

I waited for a prudential time to start fighting for unlocking the arrows that were deep into the dirt and that kept me from standing up. The movement hurt horrors and knowing that the men were already at a considerable distance, I allowed myself to growl in pain as I get on my four, digging out the arrows from the ground.

I kept listening to Piper's call full of hopelessness; she was probably really thinking that I was dead after the things she saw. For the closeness of her voice in my mind, I knew she was still within the confines of the Shadow Lands. I hurried to recover a little strength to go after her. It was imperative to reach the men before they left my Lands, as I could still use the elements of the forest against them. I managed to get on my knees and tried to pull out the arrows, but they were heavily stuck in my body, between the ribs, however, that would not stop me from going after Piper. I focused solely on her voice and I started to work my undermined magic to appear at her side… _Come on come on!..._ I was too weak. However, after some attempts I was finally standing in another part of the forest, sheltered by the trees. I listened to the noises of the group and _her_ sobbing sounds…

"Please let me go back" She pleaded struggling to get free of the man's grip. I approached stealthily to the side of the road to observe the scene carefully and began thinking how I would leave the three men out of action without hurting Piper

"But your Highness…how could you say that?" The man who had her wondered truly shocked "Why would you want to go back with a monster?"

"She is not a monster…!" She exclaimed truly annoyed by the man's words

"Either way…It's too late for that My Princess…you heard my men, they killed it" The man sentenced resolutely

"No… _she_ is not dead!… _she_ is immortal… _she_ can't die!" She denied stubbornly, but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of it "You will see when she comes for all of you…" She finally said with hatred and again she invoked me with all her might. I got ahead the horse she was on, that was leading the march, and I stood motionless at the edge of the road camouflaged amidst the shadows. I stared at her, wishing to draw her attention to me… _I'm here Piper…look at me! Look in front of you…_ and the miracle happened; she lifted her face and her eyes were locked right on mine as if she had listened to my silent command, like there was an intangible connection between us. She could not suppress a gasp of shock that did not go unnoticed by the man who accompanied her…

"What is it Your Highness?" The man wondered alarmed

"Nothing…I thought I heard something" She simply said as she tried to kept a composed stance, but I could see her lips fighting the smile of happiness while she continued with her sight fixed on me. I made her a gesture to keep quiet, bringing a finger to my lips and she nodded ever so slightly. I smiled at her, promising her that everything was going to be alright, and disappeared into the trees to draw a plan, although I could still listen to what they said "You know…" Piper began saying fretfully, but I knew she was just feigning to be scared "There are creatures and beasts in these forests that would not take them five minutes to devour you all, with armour included…" She recited in a sigh, like she was telling a horror story "I have seen them and trust me, you have no idea what they are capable of…"

"I've been told that such monsters have been exterminated…so you have nothing to fear Princess" So they knew about the extermination of the beasts, the question was… _How?_ Nicky was probably right; the killing of the creatures would make it possible for anyone who wanted to harm me to enter my Lands very easily

"Not all of them…" Piper lied, still acting as if she was truly scared

"What?" The man who had refused to cut my head off inquired warily

"Only a few were killed because they were infested with rabies…" She continued saying with certainty and I could not help but smile with pride. I kept moving between the trees, with great effort for the wounds. I was waiting for them to reach a narrower stretch of the road where the trees were more abundant; I planned to use the big branches to block the road and make them come to a stop…

"Are you sure about that, Princess?" The man who shared the horse with her asked

"Of course I'm sure…I won the trust of the Warden a while ago, I know everything that happens in the _Shadow Lands_ …" She continued plotting with dexterousness "There were about one thousand beasts…and they only sacrificed about four hundred…"

"Even so, we will keep you safe…" The man leading the group said gallantly, but he no longer seemed so convinced, I sensed due to the trembling voice under the metal helmet

"Maybe we should hurry a little bit…" The other suggested

"We can't…the road is too treacherous…" _Wise choice…_ I pondered with delight since the man's reticence to ride faster could buy me more time to recover even if a little.

After a while, they finally reached the stretch of the road where I expected to ambush them. I had come a little ahead, leaving them fairly behind, to work on creating an impenetrable wall of branches and roots that prevented them to go on and I patiently waited to see their reactions when they found no escape, and mostly, I wanted to see _her_ reaction. I hid again when I heard them coming closer; I felt a little more in control of my powers after having being able to move the big trees on my command. It took the men a while to understand what was happening as they got closer and closer to the wall…

"What the hell?" The one leading the group voiced out loud and came to a stop. Piper was smiling widely observing the huge wall that stood in front of her with a face of awe. Obviously she knew it was my work "The road is cut…" The man complained "This is impossible…"

"What path did you take?" Piper asked him with doubt, hiding her amusement…

"The one heading east…" The man responded confused

"No…this one leads to the west" She chimed in with security, again, another lie

"But according to the compass…" The man retorted truly puzzled looking at the object "We are in the right direction…"

"Are you really using a compass to get out of here?" She demanded to know with annoyance and continued "Compasses are completely useless in the _Shadow Lands…_ " She explained as if that information was something that everyone should know

"What do you mean?"

"These Lands are protected with magic, _dark and powerful magic…_ to disorient unwanted people" She added dramatically "If you had told me earlier that you wanted to go east I would have warned you that we were on the wrong path…"

"My Princess knows how to find the right path?" There was a certain hint of disbelief and mockery in the man's voice, as if he thought she was incompetent to do so. If he only would have known that she was totally deceiving him

"We would have to go back to the clearing…it's the only way I know" She said and the men began discussing whether or not accepting the princess' guidance

I took the opportunity while Piper distracted them to cut the road behind them, so if they wanted to go back, they would find themselves trapped between two walls…with no way out, because the main road was flanked by a dense mass of dead woods, impossible to penetrate, neither with their horses nor with their stupid iron suits…The plan was perfect, because they immediately tried to go back only to run into another wall. Only then they understood that they were being ambushed…

"Draw your weapons!" The leader said with urgency getting of the horse and the other two followed him "Come with me My Princess…me must keep you safe" He offered Piper his hand to help her get off the horse. I even got to feel sorry for the man because it was clear that his true intention was to protect his princess; but she was _my_ princess, so the pity only lasted an instant…

"There is no need for you to protect her…" I spoke out loud but they could not see me. The three men turned around nervously with their swords in the air "She is completely safe…" Piper stood in the middle of them as they placed themselves around her in an attempt to protect her

"Who are you?" The leader demanded to know with authority, but only I could feel his fear thick in the air… "Show yourself and fight!" Still, his courage was worth to admire. I used my magic to snatch the sword from his hand with a swing of a branch in the blink of an eye. The next second, I repeated the action against his companions to then catch their arms and legs with the roots…they fought for a moment, shouting with fear, until they were completely immobilized. Only then I dared to leave my hiding place to stand before them…

"Alex…" Piper greeted me from the distance and ran towards me to meet me with a huge smile of relief and happiness that vanished as soon as she noticed my state; her face was replaced with a troubled and appalling gesture "Oh my heavens!" Then she came closer to me with extreme care, like she was afraid to touch the arrows that protruded from my body and ever so careful she took my face between her warm hands "Are you alright?" She wondered utterly upset to see my wounds…

"I'm fine…" I barely uttered as I fell to the ground on my knees, fatigue hitting me all of a sudden…

"Alex!" She knelt with me as I abruptly began feeling my power subdued more sharply. I suspected she had something to do with it, that's why I took her gently around her wrists to take her hands away from me subtly "Don't worry…" I told her with a reassuring smile

"We have to take you back to the castle…we must take care of your wounds…" She insisted agitatedly

"No…No…" I denied "Now we must do something about these men…" I reminded her and a grimace of fear crossed her face for an instant; she opened her mouth as if to say something but I interrupted her "I'm not going to kill them Piper" I clarified before she jumped to conclusions…and honestly, in that moment, I had no intentions to kill them, and not only because of the promise I had made to Piper, but because those men did not deserve death, after all, their intentions of rescuing Piper had been honest "I'll just talk to them…I need to ask them some questions and then I'll let them go in peace…alright?" She nodded at my petition

"Are you sure you are alright?" She asked me one more time yet not very convinced after she had helped me on my feet.

"Yes…just a little worn out, but I will be fine" I delivered the words with fondness, moved by her concern. I kissed her lightly on her lips taking care not to hurt her with the tip of the arrows and then I proceeded to walk closer to the men that were trying to free themselves from the roots' embrace. They grew nervous as they saw me approaching "Calm down, gentlemen…I don't seek vengeance" Of course they did not believe my words

"Free me and let's finish this in a hand-to-hand combat…" The bravest one said

"What a gesture of gallantry…" I praised him with mockery "But I suspect your bravery is leaving no room for good sense" I said sardonically and continued with a poise of arrogance "Let me remind you that your brave fellows pierced my body with five crossbow arrows, and yet, here I stand in front of you" I was making a great effort to appear strong and recomposed before those men and for Piper's sake, who was standing behind me, so close that I could feel her warm breathing on the back of my head "I'm not going to lie, it hurts… _a lot…_ but I know that I'm not going to die because of my injuries" I walked closer to him to remove his helmet and looked into his eyes with menacing gaze; I leaned towards him to deliver the threat very close to his face "I could kill you just with my mind…" The roots curled around his neck and got tight, just enough to prove that my force was enough to choke him to death "But I will not do it…" I let go of his neck "Because I really don't want to kill you, not even for having attacked me…I just want us to talk, calmly" I finished serenely

"And why should I believe in the words of a deceitful creature like you?" He retorted with disgust. He was making it hard for me to not wanting to rip his proud head off…

"And my word?" Piper chimed in coming to my side "Would you believe in the word of your princess?" The man watched her taken aback

"Your Highness…" He greeted her like he was seeing her for the first time and recited in awe "I owe my life to my King…and to you…devotedly" He meant each one of his words; I could tell "I will believe you above all things…" Piper mulled about his statement and then directed to me

"Free them…" She said, but I couldn't help noticing that her words sounded more like an order…an order that I obeyed immediately. I let go of the men unceremoniously; they fell obstreperously against the ground. Piper waited for them to recompose themselves from the fall to talk "First…you owe me an apology for taking me against my will…"

"My Princess…" The man in charge bowed before her and knelt as the other two followed him "We wanted to save you…" He said ducking his face in a gesture of respect. In that instant I saw the power that emanated from her and that made those men completely subjected to her

"Well…You should know that I don't need to be saved" Piper retorted cuttingly "Now tell me…who send you?" She had taken control of the interrogation that I was planning to do to the men…

"We have been sent in the name of the King…" He responded still with his face down

"Did my father authorize you?" For her tone, I suspected she didn't believe that her father had been responsible for it

"No…not directly… _Your Highness_ " He clarified

"Who did you talk to?" She demanded to know

"The Royal emissary…" She narrowed her eyes as if thinking about it and then faced me to tell me

"My father wouldn't dare to jeopardize his kingdom like this…he knows the consequences of breaking our deal, even if he did not take part of it, but…" She explained and stopped short like to think about something

"What?" I inquired at her pause at the end of her sentence

"The Royal emissary only receives orders from my father" I just observed her as I had nothing to tell her "I can't believe it!" She exclaimed with a snort of annoyance "First they tell me not to write them anymore because it is easier for them to give me up for dead and now they want me back?" I understood the reason for her hasty aggravation. She turned again to speak to the men who were still on their knees "You are going to return to the High Lands with a message from your princess…" She spoke adamantly "Tell the King that I don't need to be rescued because I am free to leave the _Shadow Lands_ whenever I want…the thing is…this is my home now and I don't want to leave this place" The men seemed truly perplexed by her avowal "Tell the King that I…" Then she hesitated a bit, but she walked to my side and took my hand firmly with hers "That I have found love _…_ and that I couldn't be happier…" Her love declaration took another meaning in that moment for me. She had told me that she loved me so many times, but to subtly declare it in front of those men so they could go tell the King about it…I never felt more proud of her and my feelings towards her, whatever they were, could not be more sublime "Now leave and never come back…" She ordered them "Because next time the _Warden_ won't be so merciful…"

The men had no choice but to obey the princess' wishes, besides, they had realized that they could not fight me to take Piper away. I cleared the path for them and I indicated them to follow the path so they could find their way out; we stood watching the men go until they were completely out of sight and out of my hearing…

"Let's go home" She told me sweetly, but I was unable to disappear with her, as finally overtiredness took its toll on my body…

"I can't…" I warned her and explained further before her puzzlement "I need to…to rest a couple of minutes…" Obviously, my words caused her unease

"Alex…what is going on?" She wondered with concern, again taking my face between her hands, leaving me stunned with a burst of light

"I need time to heal…" I uttered calmly and forced an assuring smile above the excruciating pain "The wounds have weakened me…but I'll get better in a few minutes…"

"Alright…let's sit…" She proposed anxiously and took my hands to help me walk up to a big rock at the edge of the road and helped me take a seat on it; she knelt in front of me to assess the wounds and caressed my cheeks lovingly as she asked me with distress "What can I do for you?" _Stop touching me…_ Her desire to help me heal was surely the cause of the constant discharge of magic that came from her, as she had done with _Charm…_ obviously she was not aware of her power, therefore, she could not control it and emanated freely when her emotions soared. Unlike _Charm_ , her magic was not helping me heal, if anything, it made me feel worse…

"You could…" I took her hands with mine and placed them on my lap "Stay away from me…" I said maybe too harshly but it was a completely thoughtless intention on my part, so I softened the tone instantly and stroked her cheek fondly "I want to try something and I don't want to hurt you…" She nodded and walked away halfheartedly. I hated to push her away from me like that, to continue lying to her and to cause her so much distress…

She stood a few meters away, watching me intently as I smiled at her to assure her; I tried to concentrate in the power of my magic but at the moment it seemed simple absent, lost. I began to worry deeply, grasping how difficult it was going to be to recover from the several blows suffered that day, believing that it would be impossible to heal without killing. We heard something approaching our way as we turned our heads at the same time towards the source of the noise.

"Someone is coming…" Piper warned anxious but I quickly calmed her down knowing who was making those noises…

"It's just our horses…" I smiled widely when my black horse appeared behind the loop of the road followed very closely by _Charm…_ Piper sighed in relief… "Good boy…" I praised him patting his snout when he got closer, leaning his big head to nuzzle me

We returned to the castle on horseback; the road became unbearable with the horse's bouncy movements that worsened the pain of my wounds, but I did everything possible not to complain, appearing to be better than I truly felt. We stopped our horses at the main doors of the castle, and Piper even had to help me get off the horse and served me as support to walk. As soon as we walked into the main hall, she ordered someone from the service staff to look for Nicky…

"Tell her to come immediately!" She said while helping me to sit on the first steps of the stairs. She couldn't bear my weight alone… "How are you feeling?"

"Piper… _please…_ stop worrying…" I told her sternly. Her apprehension only made her magic come out of her in unbearable bursts "I can't heal properly with the arrows inside my body…that's all"

"What happened?" Nicky must have been in the kitchen because it did not take her long to appear…She ran towards us with urgency

"Some men attacked her in the forest…" Piper replied as Nicky assessed my condition kneeling down

"What?! I told you this would happen Alex!" She rebuked "Damn it! I knew you would become a target once the beasts were dead!"

"They were not attacking me, _per se_ …" I intervened…

"Oh, they just wanted to say hi…?" Nicky retorted sarcastically and I explained her better

"They wanted to take Piper in the name of the King…fortunately, nothing happened"

"Nothing happened?" Since Nicky had learned about my weakening state and my inevitable death, she had been paying close attention to each one of my changes "Where are those damn bastards who dared to hurt you?" She stood up hastily and demanded to know

"I let them go…"

"You what?" She hissed

"Stop it Nicky…just help me get to my room and I'll explain to you on the way…" She clenched her jaw harshly and leaned towards me to offer me her support as she helped me again on my feet. Piper came to my other side to do the same but I told her to go to the kitchen to look for some things and for Red, since Nicky could help me alone since she was stronger. Her gesture was one of disappointment, but I needed a minute alone with Nicky. Despite not seeming convinced, she gave me a quick peck on the lips that stunned me briefly and ran to the kitchen… "Don't make a big deal out of this Nicky…please…Piper is already quite troubled" I begged her as she helped me to climb the stairs…

"Alex…I think you are going to have to tell her the truth soon…" She spoke with hoarse voice. I turned my face to one side to see her and I noticed the tears pooling in her eyes…

"Nicky…I'm not dying right now…alright?" I told her with certainty. I felt sick and damaged like I had never been, however, I could feel the wounds closing around the arrows, what would make it worse to remove them, but at least I could still sense my body's willingness to heal "I just need to rest and…"

"And?"

"Piper keeps using her magic on me…like she is trying to heal me unaware of her power" I explained her "It doesn't help to replenish my forces…"

"We'll think of something…" She said as we were already in my room, and she accompanied me to help me sit on the edge of the bed "There is…" She began saying hesitantly, looking at me from above "Another way to restore your strength…"

"I don't want to hear about it Nicky…" I uttered in tone of warning "I won't do it anymore…"

"But you could heal faster…!" She argued exasperated, however I stood firm in my decision

"I made a promise…I don't want to disappoint Piper again…"

"Piper doesn't have to know about it!"

"I don't have to know about what?" Another voice inquired from the entrance of the room. My senses were a little subdued so I had not heard her approaching. I looked in her direction as she walked closer to join us

"Alex needs to kill…" Nicky spoke without mincing her words.

"Nicky!" I tried to interrupt her but she kept talking…

"…to heal faster and regain her strength" She said fixedly looking at Piper, who wore a face of incomprehension at Nicky's words. I held my breath while waiting for her reaction. Silence invaded the room for a few moments as Nicky and I gave her time to assimilate the information.

"Is it true?" She directed the question to me in the midst of a contort of affliction

"It's hard to explain Piper…First…we need to take the arrows out of my body…" It was not the best moment to talk about that

"Will you explain it later?" She insisted so I had no option but to give in…

"I will…" I agreed. In that moment Red came into the room carrying with her the objects I had required…

"Lady Alexandra…!" Red's voice showed her concern

"Don't worry Red…this is nothing…" I assured her "Now…leave me alone…all of you…" I warned them "What I am about to do is going to be ugly…"

"I'm staying with you…" Piper was the first to oppose stubbornly leaving the room, and although I did not want her to see me pulling the arrows out of my body, I knew she was not going to leave my side no matter what. Nicky and Red also refused to leave…

Nicky kept her distance as she had a weak stomach, while Piper and Red cut my shirt with the scissors to reveal my pierced chest. Piper got paled at the sight but I admired her determination, however, when Red went to cut the arrows with the help of a garden shears and I couldn't help the growl of pain coming from the depths of my being, she fell apart amidst sobs of grief…

"Nicky…take Piper away…" I commanded hoarsely and Nicky came to take her; she did not resist and left the room rashly and crying…

"Let's get this over with" I told Red tiredly to which she nodded resolutely.

She was tougher, and yet, her face was coated with anguish. She finished the job of cutting the tips of the arrows to then pull them out from my body swiftly, but not painlessly. There were some stuck between my ribs that took her more effort to draw out, but she did it, pushed by her determination. When the arrows were all extracted from my body, the relief was instantaneous, although the open wounds throbbed painfully as my body fought to restore the injuries with all its might. For the first time in my life the need to rest took over me, without words, I collapsed on the bed while Red cleaned the mess left by my thick and blackened blood…

"Get some rest Lady Alexandra…" She said and made a touching gesture leaning towards me to place a soft kiss on my forehead, something never done for her. I came to understand that she too, inexplicably, really loved me…

"Thank you Red…" I smiled at her fondly…When Red left the room, Piper came in with rushed steps…She got on the bed to lie by my side, placing her head ever so lightly on my left shoulder

"I'm sorry…" She said repentantly around a whine

"Why are you sorry?"

"I couldn't help you…" She began sobbing uncontrollably "I could not help you against those men…I could not stay with Red by your side…and I…I was the one who proposed going for a ride…"

"Hey…" I cupped her cheek and forced her to lift her face to look at me "Nothing happened, Piper…"

"I thought…for a moment…that I had lost you…" She mumbled amidst whimpers "When I saw you motionless on the ground…when I kept calling you and you did not come immediately…I really believed that you were…" Unable to pronounce the last word all that came out of her mouth was a guttural continuous crying…

" _Shhhh_ …" I brought her head to the crook of my neck without caring about the pain that the contact of her was causing me. At that time I could not afford to push her away from me "It's alright Pipes…everything it's alright…" It's all that I could say, but meanwhile, I was seized by a new and forceful fear when the reality of what would happen when I died became tangible in the grief proffered by Piper before having thought that I was actually dead. What would happen to her when that really happened? I felt terribly selfish for harboring the thought only then. How could I have been so imbecile and insensitive as not to think about her future?

"Is it true what Nicky said?" She got me out of my absentminded state with the question…she had stopped sobbing I noticed by the steadiness of her voice, yet it sounded croaky

"Darkness feeds on dark hearts…" I said forwardly, admitting Nicky's words, no lies in between "And darkness nourishes me…" And how much my body needed it. For weeks darkness in me had been subduing progressively, so much, that the voice inside me no longer had the strength to reproach me…it was dying and I knew it, as I knew that its end would mean mine.

"So…you need…" She spoke nervously like she didn't want to hear the truth, without daring to face me "Killing…to feed it…"

"Yes…" I whispered

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked obstinately, wrapping her arms around me more fervently

"Because I don't want to disappoint you ever again…" She scoffed loudly and got on her knees to see me from above…

"Disappoint me?" She retorted in disbelief "Alex…If I had known that it is something so necessary for you, I would have never…" She stopped mid-sentence and continued speaking like she was talking to herself "But now I understand…" She nailed at me in place with her troubled azure gaze "That's why lately you've been so muted and tranquil so…unlike you…" I sighed deeply, without words to say, and watched her fondly while she continued talking sorrowful "You have told me so many times that you don't deserve me, when in the end I'm the one who is not worthy of you…" And those words gave me the force to lift my torso off the bed to sit, bringing my face closer to hers to stare at her with anger as I held her tightly by her arms…

"Don't ever say that…" I spoke outraged

"I'm the one who forced you to go against your nature because I'm too stupid to understand the complexity of your being…"

"You have not forced me to do anything Piper…" I wanted to free her from that burden "The decision not to kill again I took it before you even made me promise it" I explained her calmly. She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion "I was losing myself in the darkness Pipes…I don't want to lose myself again in it" I brought my hand to her neck and caressed the scar that my teeth left on her smooth skin with my thumb "I hurt the people I care about when I let darkness take control over me…And I won't let that happen again…" I vowed unbendingly, embracing my destiny once and for all

The following days were long and hard to bear. After a week, the external wounds were already closed, but inside me they were not fully healed. In spite of the positive progress of the injuries, my whole body was only deteriorating. I had never sensed the end so close. I tried by all means to avoid her touch, although it became impossible at times. At least I kept away from the temptation to make love to her, since she did not look for it either, conscious that I was still convalescing from the attack. It was also tricky to avoid the craving to kill, but I did it in order to keep my promise to Piper and to myself, even when she had guaranteed me that I could break the promise if killing was going to make me heal faster. But I was so tired of continuing to avoid what I had the certainty it would be inevitable. Around those days I started then to prepare myself for the worst…explaining to Piper the whole truth, once I finally grasped that I couldn't postpone it anymore and that I would never find the perfect moment to do it…

I had stopped fulfilling the requests of my petitioners. At some point, feeling my end so close, I could not care less about fulfilling my obligations. However, one night I received a call that was impossible to disregard. I knew the voice of the man; I could never forget a voice…The call was urgent, incisive and too annoying to ignore. Above all, I was curious to know what he wanted, so after three days of insistence on his part and once I understood that the man would never stop until I showed up, I decided to comply and at least listen to what he had to say. I waited for night to come, when Piper was completely restful in deep sleep and I slipped away to attend to the call. I appeared in a spacious room, too furnished for my taste with all kind of statuesque ornaments, big jars and red velvet was overused. But the most noteworthy thing of the place was the environment…because despite the amplitude of the room, the air in there was weighty and it stank of death, with its characteristic sickeningly sweet stench that enveloped the misery of those who were at the gates of death; I knew the smell very well. I walked towards the back of the room, where a colossal bed was raised on a higher level. I thought wryly how big the King's burdens were to need a bed that size. I heard the diseased coughing grotesquely as I got closer. He was not alone…on both sides of the bed stood two royal guards, faithfully safeguarding their King even on his deathbed. They had not yet noticed my presence as there were few lights in the room, just some candles around the bed. I emerged from the darkness, standing at the foot of the bed…

"Hello Bill…" I greeted him like we were old acquaintances. The two big guards did not hesitate a second to point their spears at me

"Go back!" One commanded but I remained undaunted before the threat, my eyes were fixed on the King who struggled to speak

"No!" He said hoarsely amid another round of coughs "Leave her…" Despite his order the guards did not lowered the spears "It's an order!" He said with more impetus and that time the men obeyed

"You don't look good, Bill…" I told him mordantly

"I could say the same about you…" He retorted dryly after assessing me. It was hard to miss the changes in my form, especially remarkable in my face. I had lost weight; the bones of my cheeks were prominent and the dark circles under my eyes could be seen from miles away. I smirked at him momentarily amused by his audacity "Leave us alone…" He spoke to the guards…

"But my King…we have orders from the Queen to stay with you…" One said taken aback

"And who the hell are you going to obey?! Your King or my wife?!" It surprised me his sudden agitation; for a moment it was like he was completely healthy. As he spoke the question, the guards exchanged a weird look that did not go unnoticed by me and that made me understand that they no longer followed the King's orders "Get the hell out of here!" The King insisted and the guards left at last…

"You are in serious trouble Bill…" I told him flicking my tongue in the end after the guards closed the doors behind them "It looks like you are no longer in control…" I deduced

"And you think that I don't know that?" He spitted "They can't even wait for me to die to conspire for the throne…" I flinched at the fresh exhibit of coughing sounds, and I went to his side to offer him a glass of water that was on his bedside table "Thank you…" He thanked me and continued speaking with a calmer voice "Since I fell ill of the heart…I am surrounded by vultures"

"Sorry to hear that…" I told him sympathetically, feeling for an instant a pinch of pity for the man

"Really?" He wondered with mockery to which I did not responded, and instead, I cut straight to the point

"What do you want Bill?"

"I want my daughter back…" His austere façade decomposed to a vulnerable gesture of pain and true desire "I'm dying…and she is the only one meant to wear the crown" Anger took over me thinking about how that man had broken Piper's heart in the past

" _Now_ you want to see her… _now_ you want her back" I said ironically through gritted teeth "After having asked her not to write you again…" He frowned at my words in confusion but I continued speaking "You broke her heart…you disowned her and made her miserable when making her feel betrayed by her family"

"I…" He gaped repeatedly and finally mustered to say "I don't know what you are talking about…"

"She wrote you…with the intention of doing it frequently, and all she got in return was a miserable letter in which you gave her to understand that is was better to believe her dead" I spitted angrily at him

"No…" He sighed with dread "I don't…I would never…" I watched him carefully as he wore a face of trouble trying to understand "She wrote me?"

"Yes…" I replied more calmly; anger was starting to vanish as I was coming to understand that the King knew nothing about the letters

"I did not receive any letter…" He explained utterly confused. I knew he was not lying "And you say…she got a letter back?" I remembered that I had made the letter disappear with my magic. Then, I made the long ago forgotten paper reappeared again in my hands, for his great astonishment.

"She got this back…" I explained as I handled him the letter. He took it warily and squinted to read the hurtful words forever captured on paper…

"Oh no…" He breathed out heavily at the first lines "My little frog…" He muttered with distress when he finished

"You had nothing to do with it…" I reasoned out loud, already convinced of his lack of knowledge about that matter

"I would have never done this to my daughter… _this..._ " He crumpled the letter in his fist "This was her mother…" He recognized furiously "I don't want to think about how much this must have hurt her…" The man began to sob regretful

"Yes…It was really hard for her…" I began recalling those days "But, she is strong and so brave…" I inadvertently spoke with pride "Eventually, her new life and her new family helped her to get over it…I think at least I made her happy" He was discerning me very carefully and I could say that his mind was working around something I had said…

"You…love her…?" He uttered the question softly but shocked at his own realization. I thought the King was quite observant and sharp for having figured out the truth behind my words…

"I do…" I did not even bother to lie "And she loves me too…" I added

"What did you do to her? What kind of sorcery did you use on her to make her feel such improper things?" He demanded to know angrily; if he were not bedridden with sickness, he probably would have gotten out of bed to punch me. His reaction was totally reasonable; it was absolutely understandable that he did not like the idea of her daughter, not only with a woman, which was inconceivable for the society, but with me…the embodiment of evil. I wanted to calm him down and make it clear that in no moment I had taken advantage of her daughter…

"You would be surprised to know that it was me who fell completely at her feet…" I told him with a sad smile; of course, he did not like my words

"How dare you…"

"Don't get me wrong…please…" I said in a conciliatory manner "Don't think I'm some kind of ruthless creature that took advantage of your daughter…I would never have done such a thing…" I spoke adamantly "She came to my house to pay her debt with her freedom…she was meant to serve the darkness, but never as probably you are imagining…" His face was one of hatred, but it was a good sign that at least he allowed me to continue explaining "I was not expecting at all to fall in love with her because until your daughter appeared in my life I believed myself incapable of loving, however, she evoked in me the purest and most honest feelings that I had never felt in my lengthy existence and I devoted myself utterly to her, to make her happy…to give her a life worthy of her"

"A life worthy of her?!" He replied with disdain as he laughed bitterly "She was born to be a Queen! To be the ruler of the most prosperous kingdom in the world…she is meant to stand out! Not to live in the shadows…" He snorted indignant and I felt a stabbing sensation in my chest, recognizing that he was right. Deep down I had always thought that all I had to offer her was too little compared to what she deserved, and that the _Shadow Lands_ were a place too sad and somber for her. The King softened a little his tone and kept narrating "She was the third in the line of succession behind her brothers…and yet…as I watched her growing up I kept regretting that she was not the first…" He laughed sadly with a grimace "Sometimes I think that the Gods took my sons' lives to punish me for thinking that she should be the owner of the throne…as if they had fulfilled my deepest wish in the cruelest way" I began feeling truly sorry for the man "When you took her away from me…my whole world fell apart; little by little I began losing the will to live and my enemies did not take long to take advantage of my diminished situation. Without heirs, it began a struggle to decide who will be the next to sit on the throne…there is restlessness among the humble people and internal fights between the most important houses" I kept listening carefully to his words "My greatest wish is to get my daughter back because she is the only one who can appease people's doubts…"

"And that's why you sent those riders…to rescue her and bring her back…" I figured…

"What are you talking about this time?" He wondered tiredly

"A couple of weeks ago…three men broke into my lands to _rescue_ Piper in the name of the King…"

"I had nothing to do with that…" The King defended himself against the accusation "I would have never acted so brainlessly with my daughter's life at stake…" Again, I believed him; still, I spoke with inquiry tone

"The three men claimed to have received the order from the Royal Emissary…"

"It was probably a plot of Piper's mother…" He pondered "She has the absurd idea of marrying her with Larry believing that it is the only way to bring stability to the kingdom…" He snorted with annoyance "Whoever wants to sit on the throne, they will only win the people's support if they have Piper on their side"

"Is that what you intend? Offer your daughter to the highest bidder?" I asked him with hatred. The question offended him greatly

"My daughter does not need an idiot by her side to reign!" He rebuked to my great relief. I liked that the King had such a high concept of Piper's capacities "She can do it alone…that's what I intend…"

"If nobody is loyal to you right now…what makes you think they will follow _her_?"

"Because…people adore her" He simply stated with a proud smile, and since I understand exactly what he was referring to, I didn't ask further explanations. Nevertheless, he continued talking with vast admiration "There is something innate in her for which I have no name that makes people esteem her much more than I've ever been. The princess' birthdays were always the most celebrated by the people…she has a special ability to reach people's hearts…" Knowing that did not surprise me at all "She is benevolent and always worries for the most needy; she likes justice but she believes that it must be exercised not only with our minds but equally with our hearts…she is proud enough to recognize how good she would be as a Queen, but sufficiently humble as to understand that ruling is not a privilege but a duty…" At the end of his speech he was short of breath. He took a moment to breathe deeply and went on before my attentive look "Nobody is faithful to me because I've neglected my duties as a King…sadness was too great of a burden for me as to continue with my life. As for Piper…they have always loved her, and since she sacrificed herself in order to save us all, she has become a heroine…an example of bravery and abnegation that only a true sovereign could deserve" I stood motionless, staring at him after listening calmly to all he had to say and thought about it coldly.

Taking her back home so that she could become the Queen, it was the perfect solution to my problem, because I did not see myself able to tell her the truth, to tell her that I was dying…and what would she do after I died? If she returned home, she would have a brilliant future and the opportunity to fulfill her destiny. However the decision was not easy to make, because no matter the choice, it would bring the same outcome…her broken heart…

"If you love her…you can't take away her future…a future you can't offer her" He knew I was considering it…however, he did not know why I was even bearing his idea in mind

"I'll have to think about it…" I told him sharply, hating that he was right…hating that I had already made the decision…


	53. Chapter 53

**CHAPTER LIII (Piper's POV)**

I felt her absence in the middle of the night; even before I was aware and fully awake my whole body already missed her. I propped myself up with one elbow and squinted my eyes, trying to discern the shape of her in the darkness that reigned in the room, as the last feeble flames of the fireplace struggled unsuccessfully to continue burning. I held back the urge to call her by my side, not wanting to seem too greedy, however, I did not even need to think about her because as soon as I registered the soft glimmer coming from the library, I knew she was in there, _but why?..._ I got up sleepily and wrapped my body with my gown to head towards the library. I peered cautiously through the ajar door to see her sitting in her armchair contemplating the flames in front of her; a habit of hers that made me know that she was lost in her thoughts… _something bothers her_ …I thought

I pushed the door and took a few steps into the room, so softly, that she did not even notice my presence…

"Couldn't you sleep?" I asked her, lightly joking, but there was a sense of oppression in my chest that warned me that something was wrong. Only when she heard my voice she turned her sight to me from the fireplace to fix her clear eyes gleaming with the reflection of fire on me as I approached her way very slowly. I perceived a slight smile on her lips that never reached her melancholic gaze…

"Only for the last six centuries…" She replied making me smile, but my smile was cautious…

"What's wrong?" I asked her straightly, already in front of her and certain that there was something in her head

"Nothing…" I hated so much those vague answers and that had become so frequent. Lately, I always had the feeling that she was hiding so many things from me…

"Alex…" I called her name with a tone of reproach loaded with concern, letting her know that I would not settle for that simple answer "You know you can tell me anything…" I reminded her, cupping her cheek with my hand in a gesture of fondness; she closed her eyes and leaned her cheek further into the palm of my hand to then turn her head very slightly so that her lips could reach my palm to plant a soft kiss in it that made my heart quiver…

"It's nothing….really…" She said again as she took me by my wrist to pull me closer to her, forcing me to sit down on her lap. I settled comfortably on her and rejoiced in the feeling of her arms around my waist…

"You know I don't believe you…" I said softly as my hands were already perched around her shoulders and neck. We looked into each other's eyes for a moment, like we could read each other's thoughts. She took a deep breath, as if considering telling me something…

"I went to see a petitioner…" She began saying, and it comforted me to know that she was willing to tell me what was on her head "I had been ignoring the call for days, but the man did not stop calling me…otherwise I would not have left your side" It looked like she was apologizing for leaving me in the middle of the night, what made me feel extremely selfish with her words. I knew she did not mean to throw it up to me, like I had forbidden her to attend to her obligations, which was not the case of course. For the last weeks, after so many misfortunes, she had not left my side not even for a second, and I did not allow myself to leave hers either, but it had been something out of mutual and silent agreement…

"What happened?" I inquired, encouraging her to go on as she fell silent. I knew that she could only say little about the requests of her petitioners; therefore, my question was not motivated by curiosity but because I noticed in her conflicted eyes the need to let something out…

"He asked me for something and I don't know if I will be able to fulfill his wishes…" I immediately got alert thinking that maybe the man had asked her to kill

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to Alex…" I reminded her tenderly

"I know…but…" She made a long pause and I waited for her to continue "The problem is that the decision affects a third person…" She said imprecisely

"For good or for bad?" She thought about it for a moment, took another deep breath and spoke

"In the short term, it's a decision that may affect this person for bad…" She pondered

"And in the long term?"

"I don't know…" She said like completely lost "I think…I want to believe that in the long term it is a decision for good…a greater good…" The struggle was clear in her voice and gestures, and it struck me that she looked so troubled about a stranger's life…

"Then, why are you thinking so hard about it?" I asked her with fondness "I mean…if in the end is for a greater good…"

"It is…" She sentenced, and inexplicably, the certainty in her made me shudder… "Are you cold?" She assumed that my shiver was due to cold…

"No…" I assured her smiling at her and took her face between my hands to tell her… "Whatever you do about this petitioner, I'm sure you will make the right decision…" I supported her "You always do…" She granted me a vague smile…

"I hope so…" She uttered barely audible and nailed her eyes on me in a gesture of infinite fondness; it had been a while since the last time she made my heart race with excitement with a simple look…

She curled her cold and solid fingers behind my head, as they got buried into the hair of my nape; she drew me closer to her in an inescapable pull until our lips collided almost violently. The brute impact took me by surprise after so many days without receiving that kind of ministrations from her. She had been recovering from her injuries, so I made an effort and restrained myself from starting any kind of intimate encounter with her, and how hard it had been, but she was weakened and I was so terrified to see her getting worse because, she was indeed getting worse; her wounds had begun to heal, however, her body had deteriorated noticeably. She was thinner as days went by, and her angular features seemed more prominent. But in that precise moment when her lips felt more alive and vivacious than ever, I did not feel her weak, but strong and impetuous, just the way I loved her the most because I could feel her being completely herself.

I immersed myself in the zest ignited by her lips and without complains I joined the quest of consummating our love. The insistence of her lips soon left me breathless, forcing me to push her away just for a second so that I could gasp for air. As soon as my lungs swelled with fresh air I smashed our lips together again. I did not want to breathe again in my life; I just wanted to drown in her…for her to be the last thing I felt, the last thing I tasted and the last thing I breathed. Her anxious hands began to strip me of my gown with desperation and her lips began to trace the line of my jaw and the arch of my neck with eagerness; pleasure was immeasurable and I did not want her to stop, nonetheless, I was forced to ask her amidst sharp pants if she was sure of what she was doing, worried about her feeble condition…

"Alex…" I gasped her name and I gently pushed her away from me by her shoulders "Wait…" I insisted before her resistance "Your injuries…" I had to remind her "Are you sure you are ready for this?" Finally she moved her face away from my neck so that I could see her in the eyes; the black dots of her pupils invaded the clear green of her eyes

"My longing for you is the only thing I'm sure of in my life…" She voiced huskily, and at those words there was little I could refuse, so when she brought her lips to mine again, I responded avidly despite my reservations about her welfare…

In a quick movement, I straddled her and made it easier for her to take off my gown and camisole, leaving my torso completely naked at the mercy of her cold hands and icy tongue that began to run along my clavicles. I rose on my knees to leave my chest at her face's height, and as always, she grasped my intentions as her lips wrapped themselves around my left nipple without hesitation and her tongue flicked it enthusiastically driving me crazy. I buried my nose in the crown of her head and inhaled the sweet essence of her while she devoted her mouth to my mounds that missed her always so thoughtful attentions…I felt my body burning with heat despite the cold contact. There was not such a delicious sensation in the world than the contrast between the heat of my body and her cold touches that only served to warm me up even more…

Her hands slid down my naked back to intrude underneath my undergarments to reach my buttocks and squeeze them impudently; her broad hands were able to cover much of my bottom area. She still had not reached my core and I was already trembling out of control. I sat down again on her thighs, imprisoning her hands still clinging to my buttocks and I caught her lips with mine to savor them keenly. I nibbled the fleshy rims of her mouth drawing out from her deepest being the most wonderful sounds there could be in the world. She stood up abruptly taking me with her in the movement; my legs circled her hips greedily and my arms clung to her shoulders; nothing could make me let go of her in that moment. She walked slowly back to our room; the speed of her walk did not correspond with the gluttony of her mouth and hands, but as long as she continued to touch me, I could not object her unhurried ways. She crawled into bed, my legs still remained fixed around her torso just as my arms around her shoulders, wanting to feel her as much as possible; however, she detached my limbs from her body and pinned my hands on the mattress, to both sides of my head to start devouring every inch of my exposed skin delightfully. I fought against her hold; my hands were also so anxious to touch her, but at some point my mind was so foggy that I lost the will to move my body on my command. I just let her do whatever she wanted to do with me, knowing that whatever she did it would be only to my great pleasure. Yet, for the split of a second, fear invaded me all of a sudden while her lips nibbled enthusiastically on my neck, remembering the last time she had taken me to bed like that. I got tense and anxious, anticipating another attack on her part. But of course, she noticed my change immediately and stopped on her tracks straight away, always so perceptive.

"Pipes…" Her heavy breath hit my face. I could not see her in the dark; I could only imagine her worried gesture through the sound of grieve patent in her voice. She released my wrists softly and her right hand came to cup my cheek gently; her thumb stroking my parted lips as she pressed her lips on my forehead to whisper against it "Don't be afraid…" She pleaded and began planting soft pecks all over my face, down to my neck, where her lips stopped right on the mark left by her teeth once to kiss it caringly "I'm under control…" She spoke vulnerably in the crook of my neck and remained motionless, not daring to make further moves.

Her words made my fears fade away and my hands became responsive within a second. I took her head between them and forced her to face me so that I could find her lips in the obscurity. The rhythm of the meeting had diminished, but I could not say the same about our yearning, that remained intact. After kissing her lovingly, she began to descend restrained, sliding her lips down the middle line of my chest, leaving a wet trail with the cold moisture of her tongue and continued the way down to my core that longed for her agonizingly, stopping above the waistband of my undergarments. Each of her movements was measured…devoted. Her fingers hooked around the waistband of my breeches to take it off. My mound was exposed deliciously to her icy and sharp breathing. I raised my hips slightly to help her remove the remaining clothes as she continued pulling the garment down my legs in a soft movement that I thought would last an eternity; she momentarily knelt on the bed to make the task easier, until leaving me utterly stripped. I opened my limbs in advance to grant her complete access as she leaned towards my center and settled between my spread legs like she belonged to that part of the world more than anywhere else.

Her mouth started a round of recognition, kissing, nibbling and caressing with her lips and the tip of her nose my inner thighs, approaching unceasingly to my blazing core. How much I needed her cold lips to stifle the ardor that consumed me from the outside in. When her lips reached the hidden part of my intimacy, my senses faded instantly and in the deepest of my stomach aroused the hunger for her that I had been suffering for so long…

"Alex…" I pronounced her name with boundless want. My fingers searched for the shelter of her hair and deliberately, I tugged on her hair to align her lips with my most needy area…

Her tongue then traveled along my slit deliciously, from my entrance to the peak of my sensitivity, intentionally unhurried and reserved, like she wanted to prolong the torture. She ran the same length again and again, increasing the pace and the pressure until she finally settled her lips around my bud to begin imbibing herself on me, as if it were the first time she tasted me…the feeling was so intense that for me it was also like the first time she kissed me down there. I took her raven hair with my hands to caress it as she sunk her face over and over against my core. It was so little what I could withstand, because after some light poundings of her tongue, she pushed me over the edge. I shuddered violently amidst the utterance of her name around moans of pleasure. Her lips continued implacably attached to the over sensitive spot as she continued sucking and licking until leaving me completely drained, without strength even to emit a sound but heavy pants and muted whimpers. She adored me tenderly whilst I descended from the heights. As soon as my soul returned to my body I realized that her mouth continued nibbling the inside of my thighs with excessive attachment. She left me no time to catch my breath as her fingers proceeded to segue into me firmly in a swift movement that made me feel so complete, making me cry with pleasure. Her fingers soon began to work within me in a relentless thrusting movement. The way she took me was gentle and at the same time so unbending, a perfect balance…a perfect depiction of our mutual craving for each other…intense, fierce, but always so loving…

"Piper…" She growled my name against my mound and kissed me passionately right there as her hand continued with the persistent drive inside me. Once again, there was little she had to do to make me fall to pieces messily…

The second blow took me by surprise like a quake, from the center of my body with a force that snatched all my senses away. An eclosion of emotions elevated me to the firmament, so high that made me experience vertigo to the heights. It detached me from the mundane world for an instant, to fall again amidst her caresses that felt like a safe mist that enveloped me to guide me down to earth after having crossed from the ground to the infinite sky…

It seemed as if that night she was making up for all the nights we had lost without consummating each other. Little by little I regained my senses and I could feel her climbing up my body with excessive effort. It worried me her forced breathing, her muted growls and her slow movements…

"Alex…" I whispered with concern, however, I could not deliver the question. Her mouth was already sealing my doubts, cutting off my words…

"Don't worry about anything…" She ordered heavily against my mouth, stunning me with the cold breeze of her breath "Not tonight…"

Her voice was sore, hoarse…another kind of fear invaded me as soon as she uttered _not tonight…_ What was going on that night? For she to ask me not worrying about anything. I couldn't know, no matter how hard I tried to understand her motives and the desperate way in which she continued devouring my lips…

"At least…" I barely mustered between her fierce kisses "Let me…" I fought the insistence of her lips to speak "Take care of you…" I almost pleaded, because I was dying to savor her just like she had done with me. Her mouth became motionless and she drew her face only an inch away from mine to watch me from above; I knew that she could see me in the dark with her sharp eyesight. I breathed as calmly as I could trying to regain my normal breathing while I waited for her to let me take charge…

"No…" She denied firmly disappointing me absolutely "Tonight is just for you…" She sentenced and gave me no time to express my disagreement with her decision since she soon had me panting her name again and cracking my strength of mind with the wonderful things she began doing to my body…

When I thought that maybe everything would finally go back to normal after the long and zealous night we shared, I woke up to find a distant version of her. She went to the kitchen to bring breakfast without granting me the usual good morning playful kisses, leaving me in bed quite ill at ease. During breakfast, she barely ate, and transmitted me her discomfort because suddenly I was not feeling hungry anymore…

"Is everything alright?" I asked with uneasiness, placing the tea cup on the table harder than I wanted. She locked her eyes with mine and clenched her jaw as her nostrils widened in a sign that assured me that no…nothing was alright…

"There's…" She made a long pause and diverted her eyes from me "There is something you should know Piper…" My blood froze before the coldness in her voice. I waited anxiously for her to continue speaking "The petitioner I told you about last night…" I frowned in confusion as I was not expecting that at all; she nailed her eyes again on me as she spoke softly at last "It was your father…" I was stunned, processing the information… _My father…_ "He…" She continued despite I was still heavily shocked "He wants to see you…" She finished saying solemnly and gave me time to grasp her words… _My father wants to see me…_ The realization ignited the rage in my insides and got me out of my shaken state

"He wants to see me?" I retorted annoyed with disbelief, still quite angry with my father for having sent those men to rescue me and getting Alex hurt in the process and also, for the infamous letter where he had expressed his wishes to know nothing more about me. I got up from the table hastily too anger to stay in a sitting position "Why is he still insisting on that? Is it that he did not understand the message I gave to his men?"

"Just listen…" She spoke in a conciliatory tone as she also got up to walk towards me "Piper…" She named me softly to appease my anger "Your father did not send those men…" She told me calmly and although at first I could not believe the words, I had to do it in the end because I could not conceive that she would be able to lie me about that specific matter

"How…" I stuttered for a moment "How can you be so sure?" Still I had my doubts

"Because I spoke to him and I saw the truth in his eyes…" She explained me serenely and I thought deeply about it before dictating a sentence

"Anyway, that doesn't change anything…" I finally decided obdurately "I don't want to see him, just like he did not want to receive my letters either…"

"No Pipes…that whole matter was also a big misunderstanding" She gave me a sad smile as she caressed my cheek with the back of her fingers "Your father had nothing to do with that letter…he did not even know that you had written him" I listened to her clarification and my heart broke as the truth sunk in, because I should have known it from the beginning, I should have known that my father was incapable of doing such thing. I had been resentful towards him for so long when in reality he had not been guilty of anything…I was silent, not capable of utter a single word. My mind was working too hard to process all the information "And there is something else…" Her face became more serious, if it was possible at that moment "Your father is…" She then took my face with both hands to deliver the truth as gently as she could "He's… _dying_ …" But the news could not be delivered smoothly, as much as she tried. I felt my soul vanishing and my legs weakened. Alex had to hold me as I felt the ground shaking under my feet… _No no no…my father is dying…_ my beloved father, my role model…my father…who gave me all the love he had to give, to compensate for the love I missed from my mother, who was too busy loving my brothers. A guttural crying took me by surprise; I was simply devastated… "I know…I know my sweet Pipes…" She cradled me against her chest "I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…" She murmured softly over and over again

"Oh Alex…" I lamented deeply distressed around cries of despair and hurt "I need to see him…I need you to take me with him…" I took her with urgency by her shoulders "I need to apologize…"

"Shhhh" She tried to calm me down "It's alright…just breathe" She locked her eyes with mine in an attempt to mollify my grief "I will take you with him…" She promised

"Can you…take me…with him…now…?" I cried the question

"Of course…" She assured me but it was not enough to appease the pain within me "Put on some clothes and I'll take you with him in the blink of an eye…he's calling…" She wiped my tears with her thumbs and placed a deep kiss on my forehead.

I got dressed quickly as she had told me. Then she wrapped me securely with her usual overcoat, placing it gently over my shoulders and enfolded me fondly with her arms; I closed my eyes allowing myself to be comforted by her embrace as she made us disappear. When I opened my eyes again, I registered the so familiar surroundings that at the same time looked so strange; it seemed like years had passed. I fixed my eyes immediately on the bed and ran towards him…

" _Father!_ " I cried as I approached his bed hastily, without even noticing that there were other people around the room. I had to push away a couple of them so I could reach him… "Father…" I spoke breathlessly sitting on the bed by his side

"Little frog?" His voice was worn; I felt a twinge in the center of my chest when I saw him…

"Dad…" I took his hands with mine and he nailed his cloudy eyes on me, but I would swear that his worn out gestures transformed immediately with a face of pure happiness…

"Piper…" He raised his weak arm to stroke my face with his shriveled up hand… _How could he have deteriorated so much in such a short time?_ I wondered "I can't believe you are here…" He touched my face like I was not real

"Piper!" I heard my mother calling me but I was deliberately and completely oblivious to her voice of surprise… "Aren't you going to greet your mother?" _She_ … _she is the one who sent the poisonous letter_ …I thought bitterly

"I don't know mother…" I said callously without diverting my eyes from my father's face "Are you happy to see me?" I asked with sour purpose

"Of course I'm happy to see you…" She said and I felt a hand on my shoulder that I fought hard not to push away from me. My eyes were focused solely on my father's, who looked at me with a worried face, sensing the so obvious tension in the air "Larry is also happy to see you…isn't it right Larry?" My mother chimed in and walked away from me… _Larry?..._ I was not even aware of his presence in the room

"Piper…" He said from somewhere, so I turned my head to see him walking towards me along my mother, with a silly smile on his face that I did not return, however, he stopped abruptly and his face was replaced by a hint of fear as he looked away from me. Only then I sensed Alex's presence beside me. I smiled internally with satisfaction and turned all my attention back to my father…

"We need to talk…" He said with strained voice as loud as he could speak and widened his eyes to add… "Alone…" I frowned at him before the urgency in his eyes and I nodded cautiously...

"Leave us alone…" I ordered for him with a clear and loud tone so that everyone could hear me. My mother of course, was the first one to oppose

"Absolutely not…" She refused adamantly "The discussions concerning the kingdom must be heard by all those present…" I knew what she was referring to and it made me sick to understand that they were talking about who would be the next successor. They were already assuming that the King was going to die…fortunately, Alex interceded for me…

"She said to leave them alone…" Her threatening voice would make my hair stand on end if her words had been directed towards me. Not a word was spoken while the rumor of the hesitant steps and the sound of throats clearing and little coughs of awkwardness filled the air. Alex did not have to say more, and I guessed that she was also glancing at them in a deadly manner since the unwanted visitors started walking out of the room not wanting to face the Warden's wrath.

The room fell silent and Alex approached me to tell me that she would also give us some privacy, so that we could talk calmly, but I refused for her to leave the room…

"You can stay…" I assured her turning my head towards her…

"Surely your father would have things to say to you…" She said flicking her eyes momentarily to my father and then to me… "You better talk alone…"

"I want you to stay…" I insisted stubbornly, because I knew very well why my father had called me by his side in that moment; I knew what he would ask of me, and I needed _her_ support to refuse my father's last wishes. Before my persistence, she nodded shortly and stayed in the room, however she walked away from us to give us some privacy and I turned my attention again towards my father…

"I never thought _she_ would let you visit me…" It was the first thing my father told me once I was paying attention to him again. His words bothered me deeply because obviously he knew nothing about Alex's goodness…

"I don't need her permission father…I'm free…" I clarified my current situation "Besides...She would do anything for me…"

"Then it is true…" He pondered with a gesture of confusion and continued "You love her…" My heart stopped at his words "You love each other…" I could tell he did not like the idea at all. Apparently, Alex had already had that conversation with him during her visit…

"With all due respect…I haven't come here to discuss that matter with you, father…" I was already a woman; since I had left my home I had become the owner of my decisions, and I wanted him to know it "I continued with my life and I am happy now…" He grimaced like he had been stabbed; nonetheless, he managed to look at me with eyes full of affection after he digested the information…

"I can't say that I agree with your choices…" He spoke reproachfully and I lamented the tone of disappointment "But neither can I despise one of your greatest qualities…your infinite capacity to love…" He said with understanding at last "And I think she really cares about you…"

"She does…" I said with a smile and wondered if Alex would be listening to the conversation. I could peek her shape from the corner of my eye looking out a big window on the farthest side of the room…

"I guess I should thank her for taking care of you all this time…" He accepted grudgingly, still not very happy with the situation, in a subtle way of telling me that he accepted me, that he accepted _her_ …

"And that's one of your greatest qualities…" I told him fondly, moved to the bones and proud of him. He narrowed his eyes in wonderment as I clarified "Your great capacity for understanding and accepting…" That's what made him a great king and a great man. He smiled widely at me, although he looked so weak…

"I've missed you so much my little frog…" The nickname always brought me an easy smile "Since you left us, nothing has been the same…"

"I'm so sorry…" I said regretfully "I had to do it…"

"Of course…and I'm so proud of you" He reached my face to cup my cheek and caressed it fondly "You saved the kingdom…you saved _your people_ …" He dropped his arm, unable to hold it in the air for too long "And your people need you Piper…now, more than ever" And there it was…what I knew would come.

"Father…" I began to argue. I was sure of the decision even before he had the opportunity to make the offer, because I could not leave the Shadow Lands to rule my kingdom…my place was by Alex's side and nothing else mattered.

"You have a responsibility…"

"I have already fulfilled my responsibilities; the day I sacrificed myself for my people was the day I gave up my aspirations to the throne…" I explained calmly but resolved

"The day you sacrificed yourself for our people was the day that you became their most worthy ruler" He rebuked briskly "Nobody else deserves the throne more than you do…" His words got interrupted by a terrible round of coughs that left him breathless…

"Father…!" I cried with despair "Calm down…" I tried to calm him down and Alex came to my side in less than a second to help me calm him "Breathe….just breathe…" I kept saying as she brought him the glass with water from the bedside table. He spilled the water at the first attempt to drink, but he managed to drink a little in the second try; his coughing died considerably

"Don't tell me that I will have to leave the kingdom in the hands of some incompetent idiot blinded by power like Lord Bloom…" He continued talking truly upset and agitated "Nobody deserves this position more than you, Piper…it's yours…! And now you are a free woman!" He exclaimed "The history of your family…Our dynasty! So many years of our ancestors protecting these lands cannot be for nothing!" He finished and it hurt me…it hurt me to think leaving the kingdom in someone else's hands; my father was right. It was my duty and solely mine to continue the legacy of my house. But I could not conceive going back home and assuming the responsibility of reigning because then, I would have to leave Alex behind and _that_ was simply impossible to imagine; my life was irremediably linked to her. I did not have the heart to say no to my father right away; he was so weak that it terrified me that the bad news would cause him an irreparable damage. I remained silent and kept watching him while he calmed down after his recent protest, breathing with great difficulty…

"Father…" I barely sighed as my chest hurt for him

"At least think about it…" He pleaded clinging to my hands

"She will think about it…" Alex was the one to speak before my silence and we both, my father and I, turned our attention to her, who was standing by my side, but she did not even look at me and did nothing but to stare at my father inwardly; the silent exchange, still so palpable between them disconcerted me. I looked back at my father, who had his eyes fixed on Alex too; he nodded shortly and released my hands…

"Think about it…" He finally said to me. I leaned towards him to plant a kiss on his forehead. I hurried to get up from the edge of the bed and ran out of the room before tears started running down my cheeks because, I did not need to think about it, I already knew where my heart was placed…

In the hallway, a group of people turned their attention to my sudden appearance and began asking questions that my ears did not bother registering. I continued walking away from my father's room taking big and hasty steps…nobody dared to follow me; I knew Alex had something to do with that, as I could feel her following me very closely. I headed towards my old room; the air in there seemed stagnant, as if no one had opened the doors or the windows during the months of my absence. Everything remained as if frozen in time, and the only sign of its passage was the thing dusty layer that tarnished all the surfaces of the room. I needed fresh air, so I walked to the end of the room to go out to the balcony. I took a big gulp of air after struggling to open the large windows that squeaked loudly when Alex came to help me with the task. Once outside, I rested my hands on the railing and I absorbed the beautiful landscape of greenish hills gilded by the rays of the morning sun… _my lands…_ I mulled silently. It was inevitable not to think about the last time I had been there; the image had been very different. It was night and the light of the full moon, high in the dark sky, bathed the chaos that reigned on earth. The hordes of the enemy were trying to trespass the big walls of the castle. We had come to think that it was the end, that everything was lost until _she_ appeared…Back to the present, I let out a short laugh before the irony of life…

"What's so funny?" Alex asked positioning herself by my side. I turned my face to my left to see her and it shocked me the sharp contrast between the image of her the night I had met her, and the image of her then. I had never had the chance to see her under the sunlight…

"Here…" I sighed, suddenly overwhelmed "All started here…" She observed me puzzled "It feels like it happened years ago…" It seemed like my life was completely subordinated only to the months I had shared with her, as if my life had started with her…

"Yes…" She uttered softly around a sad smile

"How long can we stay here?" I asked her. I did not need time to think about my decision, just to think about how I would tell my father about it…

"Until your father's wishes are fulfilled or… _denied_ " She explained softly to me

"How am I supposed to do to break my father's heart, Alex?" I asked, imploring for help to guide me through that hard circumstance…

"Maybe you don't have to break his heart at all…" The calm in her voice was eerie

"What do you mean?" I asked with dread. Maybe she meant that my father's death was closer than I thought…maybe she meant for me to lie to my father and let him die in peace and then come back with her to the _Shadow Lands…_

"That maybe…" She hesitated for a moment "Maybe you should listen to his words and really think about it…" I was not expecting her to say that…

"Are you serious?" I wondered taken aback

"You know I'm always serious…" She kept a serene attitude

"How can you say that?"

"Your father has a point, Piper…" She spoke me with reproach "Are you really willing to let this opportunity pass by? What about your people? Are you going to leave their future in the hands of a bad King?" No, of course I did not want that, but there was nothing else I could do…

"I'm sorry for them, I truly am…but I already sacrificed myself once, and I won't do it again now that I'm happy…I don't have an option!" I retorted annoyed

"You _do_ have an option if you make the decision with your head, not with your heart…" Her patronizing tone bothered me deeply "So what?" She rebuked before my seconds of silence "You will come back with me to the Shadow Lands to do what?"

"To be with you…" I answered bewildered and hurt by the question itself because, why else would I go back if not because of her? If not to be with her?

"For how long?" She wondered raising her eyebrows; the question took me by surprise "Have you thought about our future? Do you understand what will happen sooner or later?" Yes, I knew perfectly well what would happen. She was immortal, and I was not. Sooner or later we would have to face the truth but, at that point, with a love so strong, I really believed that it was already too late to lessen the pain of that reality…

"Would you do it?" I almost spitted the question with hatred, although my voice was brittle; again the tears were threatening to leave my eyes "Would it be simple for you to make the decision only with your head?" As if it was so easy to separate the feelings from such a hard decision. Her face turned to stone and her gaze hardened infinitely to say…

"It would not be so hard; I don't have a heart…remember?" I felt a blow in the pit of my stomach. She was literally reminding me that because she did not have a heart, she was incapable of loving, thus, the decision wouldn't be so hard to make for her as it was for me…

"You are a liar…" I hissed disgusted, because I had never believed in her inability to love…I knew deep down that she loved me madly, just as much as I loved her. Still her words hurt me acutely

"I'm not saying that it would be easy…I'm not saying that I would not miss you, but…" She softened her manners "You are young and you can rebuild a new life without me…and I…" She faltered before saying "I have all eternity to forget you…" And those words broke my heart and made the tears pooled in my eyes to run freely down my cheeks…

"Could you really do that?" I asked with disbelief struggling to keep my voice steady as the tremors of crying menaced to make my body convulse with pain "Could you really forget me?" The question came out of me like a frail thread of air

"Eventually…" She sounded almost casual and spoke with inestimable wisdom "Time heals everything, Piper…"

"Well…congratulations for your endless time" I could barely speak as I felt something clenching around my throat "Unfortunately I don't have enough time to forget you…" She gave me a sad look and I saw repentance in her gestures

"There will be other things that will help you…your duties as the Queen, taking care of your people…" I stared at her and then it hit me, hard and right in the center of my chest; the security with which she spoke, her determination to make me see what was best for me…

"I am not the one who must make the decision…" I whispered with realization "Apparently you've already done it…" Last night's conversation about the petitioner asking something that would affect a third person…I was the affected party in all that matter. The way she had consumed me in bed so calm and yet so desperately, precisely not as if it were the first time, but the last…she had already said goodbye to me that night…

"Pipes…" She voiced mournfully and tried to reach my face with her hand but I slapped it away from me because I did not want her comfort…

"Don't!..." I took a step back away from her, revolted and betrayed

"Piper…" She insisted but again I repulsed her vehemently

"What has my father given you in return?" I demanded to know "At what price did you agree to get rid of me?" My words were like a slap to her, and I did not care…

"How can you think that?" She wondered appalled

"Right now…I could think the worst of you…" I stabbed her back deliberately

"It is for the best…" She grimaced and her suffering hurt me more than my own "Someday you will see it, someday you will understand…" I had to remind myself that I should not care about her pain anymore…

"If you already made the decision…then what the hell are you still doing here?" I rebuked strongly and demanded to know "Why don't you just go away and leave me?"

"I can't until you understand…I can't leave things like this…" She again made an attempt to come closer but I kept dodging her…Without being aware of, we were back into the room again…

"Like what?" I asked exasperated. I no longer tolerated the discussion…the pain in my chest barely allowed me to breathe

"I don't want you to hate me for this…" She pleaded walking inexorably towards me. I stopped resisting her advance and remained standing, unmoving. She stood still one step away from me.

"I will hate you for this, Alex…" I spitted and a deep crevice appeared between her eyebrows as I sentenced. It surprised me the coldness and firmness of my own words despite being crying, hurt, heartbroken, deranged…

"I'm sorry to hear that…" She lamented; I could barely perceive the sound of her voice

"Don't do it Alex…" I looked into her eyes and implored "You can't…" It was so hard to breathe as my entire world collapsed around me to suffocate me under tons of rubble "You can't do this to me…" My voice faltered along my legs, forcing me to extend my arms to reach her and hold onto something to avoid falling. She supported me with her strong arms by my elbows and with unbounded grief sentenced…

"I have to…for your own good…" I hated that she had made the decision alone, without having my feelings in mind… _What am I to you? Have you ever really loved me?_ I wanted to ask her, but deep down it terrified me to hear the answer, sure that if she really loved me, she would have never break my heart like she did.

Moreover, I was sickened with the coldness with which she had made the decision. The night before she even had the height of selfishness while, as she made love to me, she had made me believe that everything would go back to normal between us, when in fact, she had already made the decision to let me go…I felt completely used and deceived

"Tell me something…" A new wave of rage gave me enough strength to stand on my own; still, I clung to her arms more tightly, digging my fingers into her forearms. I looked at her face of puzzlement with anger and resentment as I formulated the question "Did you make the decision before or after having _fucked_ me?" I delivered with true animosity. She had the effrontery to observe me with an offended gesture of disbelief…

"Pipes…" She muttered embedded in grievance

"Don't..." I hissed... _Don't you dare calling me like that…_ I wanted to admonish but the pain caught the words in my throat. I pushed her away from me hating her nearness and the pitiful expression on her face "Go to hell…" I got to say; the words came out poisoned. She contemplated them for a moment, snickered slightly and smiled at me ever so miserably…

"Trust me…I'm counting on it…" We got caught in what I deduced would be the last look exchanged between us. I still begged her with my eyes to think about what she was going to do, but not even my afflicted look would change her unbending verdict "Goodbye Piper…"

"No…" I denied fervently shaking my head as the tears emanated from my eyes plentifully. That could not be the end for us. I pounced on her driven by despair and denial and clung to her body in a desperate attempt to never let her go "Please…" I continued pleading with trembling voice but I knew it was futile. In her face I noticed the certainty of her decision and there would not be anything that could make her change her mind. I was entirely lost…

The last thing she did was to lean towards me and press her cold lips on my forehead, after which she whispered a soft _Forgive me…_ In an instant, she vanished between my grasp, leaving behind her a thick mist of her presence that faded quickly before my blurred sight…

"Alex…" I sighed her name one last time as I fell on my knees incapable to hold the reality that weighed on my shoulders…

She was gone…

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm SOOOOO sorry for the delay. Like I explained in a note in my other story, I've been experiencing very important changes in my life. Everything happened so fast. I was offered an incredible job but I have to move out from my country, so last weeks have been crazy with all the moving preparations. Furthermore, as you now know after reading this chapter, this was EXTREMELY hard to write guystrust me, I could not advance very fast because it simply affected me to write the ending and closing the chapter was probably the hardest thing I've done so far in this story. I feel you if you are sad after reading this; just know that I'm sad after writing it :( But remember...the story still has about seven chapters to be finished, and many things can happen until then, so keep calm and keep reading! Love you guys! By the way, I'm going to try to write as fast as I can, but I'm in the middle of chaos so don't get worried if it takes me longer than usual to update! I swear that I will not abandon my stories! :)


	54. Chapter 54

**CHAPTER LIV (Alex's POV)**

I did not have all the eternity to forget her, luckily. The only consolation I had left was the certainty of my pending death. But I had to lie to her; I had to make her believe that I could forget her so that she at least would try to do the same. Nicky found me in the attic a day later, wondering what had happened when Red had told her that we had not eaten for a day. That would have been a normal thing for me, but not for Piper who was human. Although I wanted to be left alone, I was forced to tell Nicky what had happened; she deserved to know. Of course, she did not take the information very well…

"What the hell did you do, Alex?" She asked me appalled after I had explained to her that I had left Piper in her old home

"I did what I had to do…in order to protect her…" I couldn't tell who I was trying to convince then…Nicky or myself…

"Do you think you are protecting her by leaving her in ignorance?" She strongly repudiated me "You had no right to make that kind of choice for her!"

"And what the hell did you want me to do?" I almost growled at her "Tell her that I am dying because of her?" Why was it so hard for her to understand that what I had done had been the best choice of all…

"Anything would have been better except to make her believe that you don't love her!" She confronted me angrily "What you did was the most selfish thing you could do…you chose the easy way…"

"Easy?" I hissed enraged at her face "Nothing has ever been so hard than breaking her heart…" How she dared to make such an assumption? "I would expose myself again and again to the worst of tortures before reliving that moment…" Enough torture was the last image of her that was etched in my mind and to keep listening to her desperate calls in my head at every minute; enough torture was to know that she was going to hate me forever, even when I would be dead, I couldn't bear the pain that caused me to think that she hated me. Suddenly, a pang of pain pierced my torso, forcing me to bend my body forward and fall on my knees…

"Alex!" Nicky went down with me trying to hold me; an uncontrollable tremor seized me as I supported myself in all fours; I could not bear my own weight for too long and fell flat on the ground "Alex…" Nicky cried worriedly and turned me around so that I was lying on my back. She took my face between her hands; the tremors little by little decreased while she reassured me with her voice, promising me that everything would be fine " _Shhhh_ …it's alright….everything will be alright…" She made a great effort to remain calm but her voice broke in the end to apologize "I'm sorry for yelling at you…" The painful shudders came to a stop and I could speak again, even when barely…

"And I'm sorry for breaking your heart too…" Not only because she would suffer watching me die, but because I had taken Piper away from her without letting her know, and I knew how strong their friendship was. I suspected Nicky was also resentful for feeling left out of the decision. I did not even give her the chance to say goodbye to her friend…

"What can I do for you?" She demanded to know desperately as big tears left her eyes bountifully

"There's not much to do Nicky…" I told her hopelessly, wiping some tears away from her cheeks "I just want to get some rest and to be alone…please" She nodded halfhearted, understanding my wishes

"I'll take you to your room…" She helped me to get up and offered her support to walk by my side to my room, to then let me collapse on the large bed that seemed so vast without Piper's body by my side.

I gave orders to close the windows with the thick wooden shutters, not being able to bear even the little light of the perennials cloudy days, and I sank into the calm of darkness and in the madness that the memories of her brought me. I was continually and desperately searching for remnants of her presence; her scent between the sheets and her clothes, long golden strands of hair entangled in her brush, rereading the marked passages of her favorite books…whatever it proved me that she had been real. And so the time went by…

I didn't know how many days had passed since she was gone. I was not interested in knowing either. The only sign of the passage of time was _her_ voice. Piper's voice stood out above the sea of thousand of petitioners; I had become so obsessed with it that the rest of the voices that claimed my services got mixed to form a single murmur in the background of my mind that I quickly learned how to ignore to cling only to the soft echo of hers… every time she called me at her side I had to resist stoically the urge to appear before her, take her in my arms to never again letting her go and beg for forgiveness.

I succumbed to being the worst version of myself; unsociable, surly and hermit-like. Nicky tried repeatedly to talk with me, but I always ordered her to leave me alone because I could not stand her face of sorrow…I did not want her to see me like that. Once, she found me in the library, also bathed in the dark. She ignored my wishes to be left alone and intruded the room against my orders with the unpleasant light of a small oil lamp she was carrying. The feeble beam hurt my eyes atrociously, as if she carried the sun in her hands after so many days in the shadows. I growled of discontent and covered my eyes with my hand…

"Please…turn it off…" I begged with afflicted tone. She didn't turn off the lamp, but placed it away from me, so that only a muted glimmer reached me. Gradually, my eyes adapted to the scarce light after the painful dazzle. I watched the shadow of her silhouette walking around the room until she approached me to kneel at my feet, in front of my seat and took my hands on my lap between hers…

"Alex…" Nicky could hardly pronounce my name. Her eyes were glassy and her face showed pure pain. I knew she brought bad news with her, only that she seemed reluctant to deliver them. I gave her a little push…

"By now Nicky…" I cupped her cheek fondly to encourage her to tell me whatever she had to say "You can tell me anything…no matter how bad it is" At that point, I did not care anymore… "Just say whatever you have to say…" I saw determination on her face, however her voice did not sound very firm

"The place is falling apart…" I frowned at her puzzled by her whispered words. She explained further with great dread "This morning, the mines have collapsed and the thousands of prisoners have been buried under tons of rock…"

"Uh…" I simply uttered after long seconds of silence, thinking that at least my end had a silver lining. My own death meant the end of darkness, hence, the prisoners bounded for life to my lands as a result of their atrocious crimes, would also perish before the advance of the light…

"Is that all you've got to say?" Nicky demanded to know sounding a little annoyed for my lack of interest

"No…" I told her after some seconds of deep thought "You have to leave the Shadow Lands, Nicky" I came to the conclusion; the place was no longer safe for anyone if it crumbled down…

"What?" She retorted aghast

"The end is near, I can feel it" I had heard the rumble of the mines collapsing, but I had thought that the noise was in my mind, because at that exact moment, a blinding pain had deprived me of reason. Clearly, the accident had weakened me even more "I don't know the consequences that my death would bring on the people who live here…"

"No…" She denied strongly through gritted teeth "I won't leave you…"

"You must to…" I urged her "What about Lorna, Red…?" I had to remind her of the other people she also loved "Are you really willing to risk their lives to stay by my side?"

"I don't want to give you up Alex…not yet" I understood her doubts; If I were her, it would have been hard for me to leave her too "There has to be something…"

"You can't wait any longer Nicky…" I had to make her see reason "I can't allow something bad to happen to you, Red, Lorna and the rest of innocent people…" There were also the servants who had already paid their debts some time ago but decided to stay by their own will to continue serving me because they had nowhere to go… "I will die anyway…your company will not be able to save me…nothing can…"

"No…" Still, she refused stubbornly as I continued giving her orders

"Take all the gold you can…gather the loyal servants and get out of here as soon as possible…" I instructed her "You know you have to…" I could see sense in her eyes; obviously she knew it was the only option; before her reluctance to accept the reality, I had to think of another reason that would help her make the decision finally "You made me a promise once Nicky" Before this promise, Nicky could not object "You promised you were going to take care of _her_ if anything happened to me" It had happened one day, when Piper had a cold and I had left to take care of some prayers. When I had arrived home I had found Piper on the bed with fever and I got angry at Nicky for not having called me. I already knew by then that I was going to die someday, and the idea of leaving Piper alone terrified me deeply; I had made Nicky promise me that she was going to take care of her in the _remote_ case that something happened to me. She remembered the promise too…

"That's not fair…" She said; it was a low blow, and I knew it, but I had to play that card

"She needs a friend Nicky…" Difficult challenges awaited her once her father died "You should all go by her side…she will be the Queen soon; when her father dies she is going to need your support…" At that point it was possible that the king was already dead, I could not know; probably Piper was already the Queen of the High Lands

"And what am I supposed to tell her when I get there? When she asks me what am I doing there…" Of course Piper was going to make questions

"I'll leave that in your hands…" Honestly, it would no longer depend on me, but I had to at least establish a single condition "As long as you avoid telling her that I died because of her…" If not, all the sacrifice of protecting her from the truth would have been for nothing…

"Maybe I'll tell her that I left the Shadow Lands because I couldn't bear your idiocy…"

"That's a good reason…" I smiled halfheartedly at her sarcasm

"I don't know if I can do it Alex…" I could feel the dread of the decision in her voice

"You can do it…because you know deep down that it is the best thing to do…" I told her with a sense of pride, sure that she was going to make the right choice for being who she was. If there was someone capable of making that hard decision and taking care of our people, it was her…

"If I leave…" Her voice at least began to denote a hint of acceptance "It will only be to take our people to a safe place…" She cleared out "But in no way I'll stop looking for a way to save you…" I was certain that, no matter how hard I tried to persuade her not to do it, she would not stop trying, so I did not say anything…I thought that, in the time it would take her to get to the High Lands with all our people, I would be dead…

"And I can't stop you…" I smiled at her sadly, regretting that her efforts would be in vain. At that precise moment, a roar was heard accompanied by a strong earthquake that caused some books to fall off their shelves "You have to go Nicky…now!" I stressed out and got up hastily, holding her firmly by her arms, forcing her to stand. Despite the glow of fear in her eyes, she tensed her jaw and nodded unwaveringly…

"I love you Alex…" She delivered barely audible as tears came out of her eyes like streams. It was the first time she told me that being an adult. Her words left me stunned. I did not have to reach the depths of my being to understand at that moment that I too, in my own way, loved her, in a pure and selfless manner, like what I felt for Piper. Maybe it was not a complete love, because I was still certain that I could not love entirely if my heart was missing. Nevertheless, I had been an idiot for refusing to put it a name and telling those words back to the only people that had ever loved me truthfully, and now it was too late…it was late to return the words to Piper, and I was not going to make the same mistake with Nicky…

"I love you too, Nicky…" An infinite sensation of peace seized my whole being as soon as I pronounced the words, although remorse corroded me for never having had the guts to accept my feelings to Piper. At least Nicky, the other only person I would give my life for besides Piper, would know about it; the last memory she was going to have of me it would be telling her that I loved her; on the contrary, the last memory for Piper was of me breaking her heart "Go…and don't look back…" I ordered her with importance. She caught me strongly in a hug that I did not hesitate to return…

"Thank you for everything you have given me…" She spoke laboriously, as if trying to maintain her composure till the very end

"You have given me more…you have no idea Nicky" Nicky's arrival in my life had meant a huge change in my miserable existence. I broke the embrace to take her face between my hands firmly "Please…I need you to be careful…" She was smart, I had taught her well, yet I felt the need to remind her "Don't do anything stupid and please…take care of _her_ …" I pleaded; I needed to know that Nicky was going to be by her side. It was the only thing that could bring me some comfort before dying…

"You know I will…" Nicky's voice came out strong, unwavering...like a solemn promise. Just as I was about to say the last farewell words, another deep quake made us to lose momentarily the balance…

"Go…!" It was the last thing I got to tell her once we regain the stability. She was clever and didn't need to be told twice. She gave me one last look where I could clearly witness her grieve, after which she turned on her heels and began running with all her might.

I watched the departure of the few who where left from the main tower, closer to the main road. They were a handful of guards and servants who had already served their sentences and were free to leave. From the distance, I watched the whole group lead by Nicky…they had loaded some wagons and they had taken all the horses with them. Nicky was on her saddle, and she carried the reins of the beautiful white mare that belonged to Piper… _Charm…_ surely with the intention of taking the horse to her owner. I was glad that she thought about it. Red and Lorna also rode on horse by Nicky's side. Red kept stopping and turning around on her saddle to look back, although she could not see me from there, and Nicky kept urging her to go on. Of course, she did well because she was the only one aware of the imperative need to get out of there. From the tower, I had a panoramic view that allowed me to see the decadence of the place. I turned my back on the group of people who were leaving; it was too painful to watch, and absorbed the destruction of the mines and the towers were the cells of the prisoners were once established. I wondered if that would be my end…to die buried under tons of rubble, although I really could not care less about the way, as long as it was effective. After observing the desolation for a long time, I returned to the front to direct my gaze towards the main road…the group of people was gone; they had already entered the thicket of the dead woods…

A sense of uneasiness apprehended me at the knowledge of finding myself completely alone in that place; the reality hit me mercilessly…I had lost everything and everyone… _Nicky, Red…Piper…_ the only people who had cared for me. With that thought, for the first time I feared death. Until then I had not been afraid because the only thing that mattered to me was knowing that those I loved would be fine; already safe, I had to face the harsh reality that I would never see them again. So I made a decision, unable to bear the idea.

The main tower was almost as high as my personal tower, where I kept my heart. Undermined as I was, maybe my body could not endure a fall from there. It was a very tempting thought. I approached the edge to see down and I could picture my body crushed against the ground, an image that made the whole thing more appealing. To continue living no longer had any sense for me, so, why would I prolong my existence and my suffering? Anyway, my ending was going to be the same, either crushed by a rock or smashed against the ground… _Fuck it…_ I muttered internally and climbed with some effort to the high cornice; I got up somewhat shaky, not because I was afraid of heights, but because I did not have much strength in my body. I took a moment to stare at the horizon, ignoring the gory final that awaited me at the foot of the tower. Before Piper, I could take a look in all directions and as far as the eye could see, it was all darkness. But things had changed in the last weeks; the sun had gained terrain, flushing the darkness out. I could see in the near distance how the sun brought life back to those uninhabitable lands…exactly how she had brought life to my existence.

"Piper…" Her name got lost in the air "I love you…" I said, as if I were whispering in her ear in some of our zealous encounters. I wished the words could travel the miles that separated us and that she could hear me saying it…

I closed my eyes evoking the most beautiful memories of her; her golden hair spread all over her bare back when she slept on her stomach; her wide and cheerful smile that always came along with the most astounding and melodious laughter; her naked body covered by thousands of gleaming drops of water when getting out of the tub; her cerulean gaze that made me stop missing the beauty of the sky, because with eyes like those to contemplate, who needed heaven? I took a deep breath in an attempt to retrace her perfume, wishing for it to be the last thing I could be aware of…I began tilting my body forward to fall free…

"Coward until the last moment…" A familiar voice made me jump startled…fortunately, at the last moment I could turn around to fall face down on the tower's roof made of stones, my body taking the shortest fall "Look what you've become…" It kept saying as I fought to regain some composure until I was able to rise on my fours and look up at the owner of the obnoxious voice "A pathetic creature… _so_ _weak_ …" I watched her from below with deep contempt as she kept talking "Scared to admit her feelings out loud in front of the woman she loves…"

"What will you know about love…?" I spitted with hatred. What the hell was she doing there?

"Yet, I know much more than you do…" She retorted sardonically, her habitual way of speaking…

"What the hell are you doing here?" I spoke my inner question, already on my feet and shaking off the dust of my body "Have not the cave collapsed on you?" I asked bitterly, thinking if her cave would have fallen with the advance of light…she chuckled scornfully to answer

"I don't belong to darkness, nor to light; I have not taken part in this war…"

"War?" I inquired; the specific word had caught my attention

"You still have not understood what is happening, am I wrong?" The weird girl with empty eye basins asked me condescendingly. The truth, I did not understand anything; the only thing I was interested in understanding at that moment was why I was still alive "The light must have really affected your brain…"

"Careful there…" I warned her with the apex of anger that still remained in me, not willing to be taken by a fool "Remember that I can still cut your throat open…"

"That won't be necessary my old friend…I have come in peace…" She raised her little hands as if surrendering to prove her good intentions "I had to prevent you from doing what you were about to do…" I listened to each one of her words with reservation, disinclined to believe that she could have good intentions "Here I am to save you and you want to tear off my head…" She mocked disappointment with a flicking of her tongue

"Why would you save me?" I retorted disdainfully "And please don't tell me that you've grown fond of me…" She choked in a guttural laugh before my sarcasm…

"It's not about you…trust me" She spoke amidst little coughs, recovering from her laughter "I could not care less about what happens to you…But you still have a role to play in this _war_ …" And there it was again, that word… _war…what damn war?_ "You would not do much turning into porridge against the ground…"

"You keep talking about a _war…_ a war that I am apparently a part of and yet, nobody has told me anything about it…" I was starting to get a little infuriated. I hated that creature and her damn riddles that made me lose my patience…

"It is a war as old as the beginning of life…" She lowered her voice, to add mystery to the story "Good and evil, light and darkness…" I just listened disinterested "The age of darkness has finally come to an end for good after having reigned for so many countless centuries, and you…the bearer of darkness…you have been the artificer of its own annihilation…" _Tell me something I don't know,_ I refrained from saying "Now darkness will never hover over any corner of the world with its shadows…"

"I'm glad to hear…" I added derisively "Still…I don't understand what else I have to do…I've given everything of me…I just…I…" I stuttered; I was tired of everything…tired of years of emptiness, tired of the pain of having lost the only good thing that had ever happened to me "I just want this torturing existence of mine to end…" For the first time, I exhibited my vulnerability to that stranger…I fell on my knees before that bizarre entity, like I was incapable of bearing the weight of the world on my shoulders anymore, I grabbed her arms with purpose and I swallowed my pride to beg "Please…just end it…" Far from making fun of my misery, the odd girl brought her little hand to my face to cup my cheek in a tender gesture that shocked me…

"That I can't do, Alex…" She called me fondly, like she was truly sorry for me "There is a time for everything, and neither you nor I can alter the order of things…"

"At least…" I did not care to lower myself even more to implore "At least…tell me…for how long I will have to endure this…"

"Only for a short time… _soon_ …very soon your suffering will come to an end and your soul will have the peace that you have longed for centuries, _Alexandra_ …" Because the way she talked to me I had the feeling that she knew me pretty well "You must hold on a little more…for _her…_ " The creepy eyeless girl somehow helped me to mollify my anguish…

"For her?" I asked hopefully, knowing that she was referring to Piper, obviously, who else? She smiled at me with a gesture of sadness and proceeded to tell…

"Long ago you chose your side in this war; you fought against the inner monster that dwells in you to protect her…you have given all of you for her" It sounded like she was thanking me for it "But the light will require of you a last sacrifice in order for her to start her legacy as the _Warden of the Light_ " _Piper…Piper is going to start that legacy…_ I understood and my chest bloated with pride "So don't try to jump off this tower again…" She finished with reproval. I just nodded without words, completely flabbergasted. I was still on my knees, but she was so short that our faces were at the same height; she began leaning her whole body towards me and I remained motionless, taken aback without knowing what she was doing "Listen _carefully_ , Alex…" She whispered very low on my ear, as if entrusting me with a great secret…

"What?" I wondered puzzled, hoping she had something more to say, but she was gone, like she had been swallowed by the earth, leaving me alone without anyone to answer my doubts "Hey!" I yelled out loud, demanding her presence "We are not done!" I got up hastily and turned around searching for her in every direction "Come baaaack!" But there was no one to listen to me…

My head was spinning fast after the unexpected encounter with the cave creature and all the information that she had given me, that far from dispelling my uncertainties, have left my mind turned into a swarm of doubts. I had never conceived that Piper's power was due to the fact that her destiny was to become the _Warden…_ of Light, of course. It never occurred to me that there was a reason behind my doom; it never occurred to me to see beyond my nose as to understand that there were bigger things at stake than the end of my existence, because all _that_ was not about the end of darkness, but about the beginning of the light. As the information sunk in, everything made sense as nothing had ever made it…I was certain that there could not be anyone better to assume that destiny than Piper. Rapidly, another worry came over my head, and it was the reason why I had decided to hide her condition even from herself in the first place… _the enemies…_ Harboring a power like hers could be something coveted by many and that could turn her into a potential target, especially if she didn't have the ability to use her power consciously to protect herself from her enemies. The same thing happened with dark magic, and therefore, the technique of tearing the heart out of the chest was so necessary to protect the source of power contained in it; besides, it guaranteed the deterioration of the body, hence, its immortality...

There were still many unknown matters to be worked out, like…what sort of superior force had schemed the end of darkness? Or the beginning of light, for that matter…Why Piper was the chosen one to carry out that task? Was she born with that power? Or had she been designated after her arrival to the _Shadow Lands_? There were many questions for which I had no answer, but then, more than ever, only one thing was clear to me…having met her had not been accidental. For the moment, I thought better to focus on deciphering the last riddle. I was sure that those simple words had some hidden meaning of great importance.

 _Listen carefully, Alex…_ The last words resounded in my head repeatedly as a reminder that there was still something vitally important to do… _but what?..._ There was nothing to be heard in that bleak environment devoid of life. I was all there was left, and some parts of the castle that still resisted to crumble to the ground. Moved by a sudden push for finding answers, I hurried through the labyrinthine corridors of the castle that still stood unscathed, thinking that somewhere in there I could find some kind of signal. I headed to my quarters holding the idea that maybe there, where the remnants of her existence persisted, might rest some answers.

However, as much as I wandered and went through every corner, painfully recalling reminiscences of more blissful times, all I listened was silence, piercing and eerie, except for the voices in my head. Piper did not stop calling me, and since her voice was the only thing that I could register loud and clear, I wondered if that was what the girl from the cave had referred when she told me to listen carefully. I focused even more on the sound and for the halo of sadness that surrounded her voice as she called me, I knew that she was suffering. Heeding the last piece of advice granted by the girl and her earlier words… _the light will require of you a last sacrifice…_ I grasped the meaning and stopped fighting against the desire to go by her side… _Piper needs me…_

But when I closed my eyes ready to disappear, as much as I tried, I could not muster the necessary strength to come to her side. I panicked when I saw myself standing in the middle of the library despite my efforts to fade away from there; what if it was already too late? What if I could not help her because I had no strength left in me?... _No…that can't be the reason…_ I refuted my own fears; there had to be some other explanation, if not, the girl would have never come to me to tell me those things and to dissuade me from jumping from the tower. Clearly, it was not good for the cause that I self-inflicted harm. I was still necessary, but without even the power to get out of what little remained of the Shadow Lands, I did not know how I could be useful or how I could help Piper without being by her side.

"Damn you…!" I said out loud maddened, cursing the eyeless creature for her useless and ambiguous information.

A new wave of exhaustion hit me and I let myself fall on my armchair in front of the fireplace that has not held a fire in it for a while, before my reluctance to disturb the soothing darkness. I asked myself if I should have listened to the girl and wondered if all the things she had told me were not meant to lengthen my misery and laugh at it…but although I've never had a good relationship with her, it was hard for me to believe that she had lied to me, simply because a lot of the things she said made sense. With that thought, I decided to be patient and stay put in one place to wait for some kind of signal. Nobody could beat me in the game of patience and long wait; a skill that I had perfected over the centuries.

I had little time to rest, because after a while, a new tremor, deep and powerful as if it came from the center of the earth shook the room violently throwing down the heavy bookcases with each of its books. My survival instinct kicked in, renewed by the words of the girl, and it made me run out of the library to my room at full speed while the old space collapsed behind me. The quake did not seem to cease, if anything, it increased dangerously. The great chandelier that hung from the high ceiling of the room it came off the roof, crushing the bed under it with bits of debris that reached my body. I hurried out to the corridor and ran to the attic at the end of the long passage, looking behind over my shoulder how the destruction made its way towards me mercilessly. I was running so fast that when I got to the end of the hall, I almost hit my face against the big doors of the attic. With effort and trembling hands, I managed to push the heavy doors to enter the place stumbling on my own feet. I fell forward, stamping the right side of my face against the hard stone floor. I fumbled around clumsily, attempting to dodge the unremitting demolition crawling backwards as I could. The destruction stopped abruptly right at my feet, leaving the entrance of the attic blocked with big debris and blinding me with the dust that clouded heavily the air.

" _Fuck_ …" I uttered around a bitter laugh rejoicing a little in the fact that I had not been crushed under the mass of rubble.

I lie on the floor that had already stopped shaking and waited for the cloud of powder to finish depositing on every surface. After waiting a reasonable time for the ruins to settle down, I got my torso up to sit on the floor and looked around to assess the damage. Surprisingly, as far as I could see, the attic looked in one piece; everything was in its place and none of the countless objects that were there had fallen off their respective shelves. A detail like that could not go unnoticed after the raging quivers that had destroyed the rest of the castle. I stood up, moved by curiosity to evaluate the whole place more closely… _nothing…_ Everything was unscathed, completely oblivious to obliteration, like suspended in time…a safe haven only covered by a thin layer of dust easy to perceive even in the total dusk that enveloped me… _It's night…_ I pondered, because no light entered through the small skylights on the vaulted ceilings, so the darkness was absolute, and I realized that silence was too; I no longer could hear the voices calling me and more terrifyingly, I could not hear _her_ voice… _Have I gone deaf?..._ I thought foolishly and snapped the fingers of my right hand just to make sure that it was not the case… _No I'm not deaf…_ I ascertained but then, why could not I hear the calls of the petitioners?... _Focus Alex…_ I ordered myself before losing it, in an attempt to stay calm. Piper's constant calls were the only thing that strangely enough helped me to mollify my worries and to remain relatively sane…as long as she kept calling me I could know that she was alright, despite the obvious grief that her voice reflected with every utterance of my name; I would go crazy if I could not hear her anymore… _Focus Alex, focus!..._ and then, while submerged into the most supreme stillness, it happened…

My ears registered a dull rhythmic sound, constantly thudding and marking the course of time like clockwork. It was my heart…I inevitably remembered the words… _Listen carefully, Alex…_ It was a great revelation and it was clear to me that what she had asked of me was to listen to my heart; in it surely was the key so that the light would finally end up breaking through the remaining darkness. My entire body was encouraged to go for it, to the top of the tower. I agreed to follow my instincts that yelled at me that I was on the right path. I headed towards the closet that concealed the tower's door; it took me some effort to slide it to one side, but eventually, the heavy piece of furniture stopped resisting my obdurate push and gave away with a loud squeak. Once inside the tower, I stood at the foot of the stairs to grasp my mind around the idea that, to get to the top, I would have to go on foot, since my advantageous ability to travel in the blink of an eye was at the moment heavily compromised. I gathered all my determination and climbed the first step… _That was not hard, there are only 530 steps to go…_ I thought with sarcasm and continued climbing; complaining was not going to take me to the top…

 _"Don't do it Alex…It's a trap…"_ The voice made me come to a sudden stop. I had not listened to it for a long time; it had been dormant since the decline of darkness became irreversible… " _You should not trust that creature that claims to see the future, she just wants to see us wiped out…"_ The clear weariness in its voice made me oddly cheerful…

"Then I guess I have more things in common with her than with you…" I laughed cynically as I worded "I think you have not understood that…" I resumed the laboriously, but with my spirits ebullient to finish the task "I don't mind…dying…if that means…I'll get the chance to take you to hell with me…" I spoke choppy, as if short of breath…

" _You are an ungrateful girl…"_ Darkness regretted " _I saved you when you needed it the most, and this is how I get paid_ …"

" _Ohhh please!_ You are going to make me cry…" I added sardonically "You did not save me…you saved yourself…" I spitted as I kept climbing each step that cost me like a mountain "You were just looking for a stronger and younger body to take and I happened to be desperate enough to need your services…" I was young and I was hopeless; I never thought about the consequences and darkness had taken advantage of my situation "I paid you with profit for that favor a long time ago…" I blurted out enraged and allowed myself to rest a little holding on the railing…

I avoided taking a seat on the steps because if I touched the floor, I would never get up on my feet again. The voice fell silent fortunately; I could feel its apathy and resignation, seeing itself without any kind of control over me. I looked up, wondering how much was left to reach the top. My discussion with the darkness had made me lose track of the conquered steps. I let out a snorting noise of acceptance and continued with the strenuous climb trying to refocus my attention to the throbbing sound of my heart that went in crescendo as I got closer to it with every step. It seemed to take me forever to triumph over the last tread of the stair. I fell forward, overcome by fatigue; however, a big smile of victory bloomed on my lips around a breathless laugh of pure joy. Already at the entrance of the single space that crowned the tower, I could hear my heart at full volume, beating loudly as I had never heard it before. I got up on my feet and stood trembling, nailing my gaze on the ornate table on which lay the chest that contained my vital organ.

I frowned deeply at the table, as my body, like moved by its own will, started to approach the big chest. I opened the heavy wooden lid adorned with intricate golden inlaid work and my eyes fell on the darkened palpitating organ… _And now what?..._ I wondered as I had no idea what to do with it… _Maybe I have to destroy it…_ What else was I supposed to do? Only that made sense, so I unsheathed the dagger I always carried with me tied to my belt, and with great determination I took the hilt with both hands to raise the blade in the air and describe with it an unerring descent in arc to hit the beating thing with drive. As soon as the tip of the dagger came in contact with the heart, a squealing metallic sound pierced my ears and my body was blown off backwards, to hit harshly the opposite wall with my back to then falling to the ground severely damaged.

"Arghhh…" I complained and lay there waiting for the shock of the impact to pass and to recover from the blow. My right hand was still clutched firmly around the hilt; I looked at the dagger at the end of my arm and noticed its steel blade completely bent…

" _Did you really believe that you could destroy your own heart?"_ The darkness inside me spoke mockingly _"You are the stupidest being in the whole world…"_ I hated to be humiliated by it…I sat against the wall and there I remained for a good while studying my options utterly convinced that my heart was the key…

"There has to be a way…" I pondered out loud, refusing to appear foolish before the disdainful being that inhabited my body and that was betting for me to fail in my quest to obliterate the darkness…

Looking at the room it was inevitable not to think about the last time I had been there, because it had happened when I decided to show Piper my heart so that she could understand a little more about my life. I remembered fondly the moment when I revealed my greatest treasure to her; I had showed it to her with large trepidation thinking that the image would terrify her, but far from that, she observed the nightmarish scene with courage and instead of running away from it, she stood still and composed to start asking questions with genuine curiosity, simply accepting me the way I was, a heartless creature filled with darkness… _She must have really loved me with all her heart…_ I thought glumly, since I never had the chance to return to her that kind of love… _for not having a heart_ …the last reflection was like a revelation

 _"Don't even think about it…"_ The voice warned me with a low hiss, understanding my line of thought even before I could grasp my mind around my own conclusion…I grinned at its evident disinclination for my new formed plan. I honestly did not know pretty well what I was going to accomplish with it, but if the darkness was so against it, the more reason to carry it out.

I held the dagger in my hand tighter and reflected that it was going to be really difficult to do what I had in mind with the curved blade; even so, the edges and the tip were still quite sharp…I decided that it'd be enough. I did not deliberate much the decision; if I did, I risked having second thoughts and I could not back out. I stood up firmly, and it surprised me the sudden rush of might I had in me. I walked unyieldingly to the throbbing muscle and accepted my awful ending with dignity. It was going to hurt, so I'd better do it quickly. I took the dagger again with both hands and raised the knife over my head but the second time I had no intention to aim at my heart and drove the blow to my empty chest to nail the sharp steel where once my heart had been.

 _"Just stop it!"_ I could barely hear the warning shouts of the voice trying to stop me above my excruciating screams of hurt _"You don't know what you are doing! You have no idea!"_

I had fallen on my knees overcome by pain and couldn't answer back as the piercing feeling got all my attention for the moment being...it was splitting. I did not remember it being so unbearable, probably because I had tried really hard to erase the memory of the time I had stabbed myself to tear out my heart. I even came to regret the decision to reopen the wound; it seemed a pretty stupid thing to do suddenly because, why would anybody submit themselves to that kind of pain?... _For her…_ my mind, amidst the madness, miraculously recalled the words of the cave girl, as to remind me the biggest reason of all… _Piper_ …for her I would endure that pain over and over again.

While on my knees, I forced myself to focus exclusively on her; my only goal in life had to be to protect her, and to give up everything for her. I had my eyes closed tightly and my jaw clenched to stop myself from screaming and found what little strength was left in me to finish what I had started. The blade was stuck in my chest; a lot of effort I had to make to tear it open following the irregular line of the old scar by struggling to slide the knife down until leaving a broad gash. With the exertion, I was not capable to stand up; I had to reach the coffer by stretching my right arm to pulled it from the handle until it fell off the table with a boisterous drop, scattering its only content that rolled to land a couple of meters away from me. I went to grab it crawling on all fours; my trembling arms were barely able to support the burden of my weight, but they did not fail me until I reached the beating pulp. I took it in my hands and assessed it closely; I had not held it in centuries. The image brought me to mind Piper's words… _Once my father told me that our hearts were the size of our fist_ …I smiled sadly at the memory, proving with my own eyes that she was right. How much I missed her and how much I would have given to see her again, but it was a futile wish; there was no possibility of seeing her again. All I had left was the desire to experience what it would be like to love her with all my being before I died...

Encouraged by the prospect, with shaky hands coated with blackened thick blood and in a last breath of courage, I buried the heart in the gruesome opening of my chest, what brought a fresh sharp pang that had me gasping for air. I held it within me by keeping the open wound closed with my hands, firmly pressed against my chest. My limbs began to tingle peculiarly and I suffered a fainting sensation as my heart began pounding inside me, forcing the blood for centuries stagnant, to flow again throughout my body bringing me _back to life_ just so that a couple of seconds later, I felt myself like dying. Everything around me turned black, and for the first time in centuries, I lost consciousness…

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm, once again, REALLY sorry for the delay...Trust me guys, I have not been able to write faster. Right now my life is chaotic and I need time and inspiration to write, especially as we get closer to the end...I ask you for a little more patience, I'll try to do my best to update faster but I can't make any promises...


	55. Chapter 55

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** See the comment section for this, because this chapter's note is really long ;)

 **CHAPTER LV (Piper's POV)**

I devoted myself to taking care of my father while trying as much as I could not to think about her. However, it became an impossible task to push her away from my mind. More often that I would like to admit, I caught myself calling her name desperate to have her by my side; I could not drown the craving I had for her presence…I needed her more than anything else in the world, especially in those hard moments when I needed support. She was the only one who could offer me comfort to cope with such a hard moment. There were so many things that I was going to have to face and I just did not feel capable of carrying everything alone…I swallowed my pride now and then to call her with true purpose, at every second, at any moment, but of course, the answer remained the same; she never came.

The only way I had to feel her close, was in my dreams that were always so painfully vivid. She kept haunting me every single moment I fell asleep in the armchair next to my father's bed. One afternoon, I had been too tired and after seeing my father so peaceful, I decided to go to my room and lie down for a while in bed. It was not my intention to fall asleep so soundly…

"Piper…" She called me heavily with purpose, as she used to do in our passionate encounters when she whispered my name to the ear with ragged breathing to then say the words I had secretly been wishing to hear her say to me "I love you…" I heard the words that for so long she had refused to say back to me

I woke up startled by the proximity of the voice. I could have sworn that she had been there next to me for how realistic the voice had sounded; I frantically looked around for her, smelling the air trying hopelessly to discern her unique fragrance…My heart skipped a beat when my nose indeed registered her essence, without remembering that I was wearing her stupid overcoat. I had it on me when she left me and I stupidly kept wearing it to find some comfort in its smell…It was the only tangible thing I had left of her.

"Alex?" I foolishly dared to call her out loud. It struck me how much it hurt to utter her name after so many days without doing it… "Alex…" I repeated already dispirited as I grasped the truth when finding myself alone in the room; my heart sank heavy with desolation "Damn you…" I said to no one in particular… "Damn her and my dull delusional mind!" Of course it had been only a fantasy of my mind; she would have never said that she loved me.

After that event, I even refused to sleep, dreading the cruel imaginary that my mind could give me of her, but at some point, fatigue wore me down again and I of course fell back into a bottomless pit full with nothing but memories of us. There was no way I could ever forget her, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise, because deep down I was certain that I never again would experience the sense of absolute happiness that I felt while being with her. But she was gone, making me realize that the sense of happiness was only an illusion that vanished as soon as she disappeared from my life; from then on I only had one option left…to move on and to learn to cope with my life without her, one day at a time, although it was excruciating to conceive my future under those circumstances…

Either way, my father's sickness kept me occupied and with a purpose to stay strong. even when in deep misery, I had to make an effort to remain strong for my father's sake, so after having shed the last tear, I forbade myself to cry for her ever again, still, my heart ached profoundly for her absence, as if the very essence of my being had been taken away from me…she had taken it away with her.

Taking care of my father had become my sole purpose, hopeful that with my presence he might be able to recover, but as the days passed by, I had to come to terms with the hard reality. He was not getting better, even though he tried to fool me, always putting on his best face for my benefit. In his last days he was so diminished that he couldn't go on pretending he was getting better. I was certain that his end was near when he began giving me lectures about the responsibilities that I was going to assume as the Queen. I did not want to hear him talk about that specific subject; first, because if he no longer had the strength to hide his bad state, that meant that death was lurking nearby and the simple thought of my father dying was too much to bear, and second…I did not feel strong enough to take over the kingdom; I did not think I was ready for such a task. Fear invaded me before the certainty that I was about to lose the other most important person in my life…I did not think I could stand a second blow.

But there I was, attempting to stay determined to at least give my father some relief, so he could die in peace, although I think that the last thing he could feel in his last moments was peace. In his last days he did nothing but repeating, over and over as if it were the most important lesson of all, that I should not trust _anyone_. I would have thought that he was delirious because of the relentless fevers that he began to suffer at the gates of death, if not because I began paying attention to my surroundings by his insistence. As I did so, irregular situations that arouse suspicion in me were really easy to glimpse.

It became clear to me that once my father died, problems would arise, mostly, because I had the feeling that some of the main Lords would not endorse my coronation. There were only few Lords that seemed to remain faithful to my father; those who stayed near their King and put themselves at my orders. Some Lords even had already sworn allegiance to me and offered me their swords and lives to protect me. It struck me that Lord Bloom had not yet made an appearance; in fact, I had not seen him or his son lately. If there was someone in the kingdom with enough power to take the throne away from me, it could only be the house Bloom.

I was so disheartened then and so tired, that I could not care less about keeping the throne for myself. If house Bloom wanted it, then I'd just let them have it. I would not fight for it, I thought. But something in me changed drastically when my father died, three weeks later after my return. The last thing he managed to tell me before giving his last breath was an urgent plea, and he did so with a sense of lucidity in his eyes that I have not seen in the past days. He had made me promise to continue his legacy, clinging to my hands as for dear life. As soon as I made the promise, he immediately relaxed his whole body and a sense of peacefulness took over his features…

"You will be a better Queen than I was a King…" He whispered with a proud smile…

"I love you father…" I told him several times; I wanted for him to be the last thing he heard from me…

"And I love you, my little frog…" After that, he fell asleep to never wake up…

In the room, only a handful of people were gathered to witness the last breath of the King. Besides me there was the captain of the royal guard and one of the most loyal men to my father, Big Joe, we called him, not because he was especially large but because his victories and feats made him worthy of the nickname; he was accompanied by two other guards who were under his command. The butler, my father's assistant and dear friend, whose daughter, Polly, happened to be my best friend from childhood, but I had learned that during my absence she got married and had moved to a distant land, to my great disappointment. Her friendship would have been a great consolation then. And finally, there was my mother, who remained motionless standing on the end of the bed watching from some distance; she did not shear a single tear for her King. A long time ago, when I was old enough to understand some things, I had come to the realization that my mother did not love my father. I thought one of the reasons why we got along so badly, was my good relationship with my father, that's why she had always tried to get me away from his influence, telling me that I did not need to learn anything from him because the crown, after all, would be for one of my brothers.

And how ironic life was…the throne after all, had finally been destined for me, and the best way to honor my father's memory was to accept my fate. Apparently, becoming the Queen of the High Lands was something I could not avoid. I wondered as I kept watching my father's lifeless form through clouded eyes by the veil of tears, if that was the plan that life had for me from the very beginning of my existence… _an inescapable duty_ …I thought with bitterness.

"May our King rest in peace for all eternity…" Big Joe's voice startled me, taking me out of my internal struggle. I turned my attention towards him, who was standing by my side and when I locked my eyes with his, he knelt before me with a gesture of profound respect "Long live the Queen…"

"Long live the Queen…" The others present joined in chorus, everyone except my mother, I could not help noticing. I decided to ignore the lack of respect on her part. I had more important things to think about, like my father's funeral…

A whole week of funeral rituals were mandatory when a King died. I was moved to the core by the myriads of people who came from all over the kingdom to pay their respect. I had always known that my father was loved and respected by the common people, yet it filled me with boundless pride to see the masses of people gathered at the gates of the castle making long queues to kneel before the King one last time. They also expressed their condolences to me with a love that was tangible in the air… _They love me too_ …the realization encouraged me to make amends with my fate and even accept it with grace and for the first time, I really imagined myself reigning.

The week could not have been more strenuous. The last day was reserved for the burial ceremony, only reserved for those closest to my father. I thought I could not stand on my feet any longer and I was only wishing to finally have some time alone to mourn my losses in private, sensing that I would crumble to the ground obstreperously at any moment. The death of my father and Alex's departure were simply two things impossible to bear, and I did not feel able to stand everything that I had been withholding. Before the attentive glances I received from people, I was forced to maintain a stoic attitude. As the future Queen, I was not allowed to show weakness, so mourning in public for my father's death would not have been well received by people, who expected of their new ruler to be a strong person.

The burial was a simple but beautiful ceremony, and soon it came to an end. After saying goodbye to my father one last time, I hurried to retire to my room looking to escape from the public eye to release the tears I had been withholding for so many days and daydreaming with having a good rest on my bed after having been deprived of sleep for so long. But apparently, the time to rest was a luxury for someone who was about to become the Queen…On the way to my room I was intercepted by Joe, the captain of the royal guard. It troubled me his worried gesture above the sadness for his king´s death…

"Your highness…" He addressed me with solemn respect and bowed before continuing talking "I know that maybe this is not the best time…nor the most appropriate to bother you but…" He stopped for a second to run his mustache with his fingers, clearly awkward with the situation "I'm afraid that there are urgent matters to discuss with you…" He finally said lowering his voice as to not be heard, although we were the only ones in the hallway as far as I could see…

"What's going on?" I demanded to know in a whisper, sensing his urgency to keep the conversation private. He looked around fretfully before answering

"It's nothing important…" That time he spoke out loud, maybe a little louder than normal "It can wait a few days your Highness…" He added nonchalantly but his tension was palpable "Take some time to rest…" After he said that, very quickly he took my hand with his and gave it a light kiss of respect, but I felt against my palm a piece of paper that I quickly caught with my fist when he let go of my hand. He gave me a complicity look, turned around and left. I knew the paper would contain some important message, so I kept it secretly in some fold of my dress and continued my way to my room. In there, sure that nobody could see me, I unfolded the little paper to read it… _At noon, look for Venus_ …Obviously, it would have been impossible to locate it in the sky in the middle of the day; I quickly imagined the statue of Venus in the garden of the gods… that's were he wanted me to go; maybe in there awaited me some important information, maybe another note…

The cryptic message got me extremely anxious. There was barely an hour left for noon and the anguish of knowing what he could possibly want to tell me grew with every passing second…as much as fatigue. But I did not allow myself to go to bed fearing to fall asleep and miss the appointment. I thought days passed as I waited the moment. My heart began to race while I watched the rising sun on the sky from my balcony until it reached its zenith. When the great golden disk was in the highest point, I decided it was time to go. I walked calmly once out of my room as not to raise suspicion…

"My lady…" Someone's voice made me stop when I was barely two steps away from my room…I turned towards the men who had called me so disrespectfully

"My lady?" I replied with disbelief "Your highness…you mean" I corrected him

"Pardon me…" He apologized but did not address me rightly "I have orders not to let you leave your room…" The man was one of the royal guards, I knew from his armor, but I had never seen the young man before. Maybe he was a new member of the guard…

"You have orders?" The only people he could get orders from were his captain, Joe, and me… "Should I remind you who I am?"

"No… _your highness_ " I could not help but notice how forced he sounded to say the words…

"You can't give orders to me…I give orders to you" I had to remind him looking at him severely, after which I continued my way

"You put me in a very difficult position" The insolent young man cut my path by standing firmly in front of me…

"I demand to see your captain, Joe Caputo, so he explains to me what this is all about…" I snapped truly infuriated

"I do not receive orders from Caputo…" He said with certainty "Big Joe is no longer the captain of the royal guard…" The news felt like a slap in my face. The whole matter worried me. I feared that something bad had happened to the only man I could trust blindly

"Where is he!?" I blurted out demanding to know "What happened to him!?"

"I'm not allowed to discuss that matter with you…" I would have loved to hit him, and maybe I would have done it if he had not been protected with his stupid armor from the feet to the head…

"I demand some kind of explanation why I can't leave my room or walk freely around my house!" I exclaimed outraged "I don't know and I don't care who is giving you these stupid orders but you better bring someone here to explain to me what the hell is going on!" I snapped completely losing my manners but I couldn't care less at those stages…

"Piper…" I heard my mother's voice coming from the hall and from behind me. I turned around feeling a sense of relief

"Mother…" Maybe she could explain to me what was all that about. To my great surprise, she hugged me as soon as I was within her reach. Few times my mother had shown that kind of physical affections. Of course, I did not hesitate to return the gesture. Only the gods knew how much I needed it… "Oh mother…" Inadvertently, the moment brought tears to my eyes; a mixture of joy and sadness…

"What's going on, honey?" She asked me sweetly, a rare quality in her, but I guessed she was trying to be a little loving with me after so many vicissitudes. After all, we had only each other, so maybe it was time to start closing distances between us and ease our relationship. I broke the embrace to explain her…

"This…insolent idiot won't let me leave my room" I could not mince my words

"Piper…" She called me reproachfully, maybe for calling the guard an idiot "He is only trying to protect you…it is his job"

"Protect me from what?" What could happen to me in my own home?

"Let's go inside to talk about it…" She suggested and I agreed. Accordingly, we both walked back to my room…

"How are you my dear?" She asked when she closed the door behind us…

"Tired…" I honestly answered "And sad…" I added as hot fresh tears came out of my eyes without being able to stop them

"You cannot afford it…" She wiped my tears from my face brusquely "Now is the time when you need to be stronger than ever…" The determination in her voice took me aback "Hard times are coming Piper…for both of us" She said as an ominous premonition. The last bit caught my attention…

"For both of us?" I would have thought she meant hard times were coming for the whole Kingdom, not only for us…

"Your father's death has left us in a very _perilous_ position" She said apprehensively

"What…what do you mean?"

"We are now alone my dear…" That I knew, obviously "Without your father's protection, I don´t know what's going to happen to us…"

"But…you have nothing to worry about mother…I will take care of us…" I wanted to appease her worries

"You can't take care of us, Piper…" It bothered me the condescending demeanor she used with me

"I'm the Queen now mother…" _And you should stop treating me like a little girl_ …I stopped myself from saying

"You are not the Queen yet…" She clarified with admonishing tone

"Yes, of course…I know that…but, I will be very soon…" The proper thing was to wait for a month after the King's death for the new coronation

"Oh sweetheart…" She said derisively "You still don't understand, don't you?"

"What is that I do not understand?" I delivered the question ever so cagily, sensing bad news

"There are so many things that you still ignore about how the world works…" She looked at me with a pitiful gesture and continued to tell me with solid certainty "You won't be the Queen of the High Lands"

"Excuse me?" I was barely able to speak after the blow her words brought to the pit of my stomach

"You don't have enough support to make it…" That I already suspected, but not to the point of being an imminent decision "The main Lords won't approve your coronation" She continued "Wake up Piper…this world is ruled by men; in no way they will accept that a _woman_ commands over them"

"That _woman_ is their legitimate Queen…"

"A woman who has been _playing_ with the darkness who knows in what immoral way!" She spitted dropping the false pretense of caring mother…

I stood frozen, watching her intently and thinking about the words she had just said. I could not say what shocked me the most. The fact that she clearly knew what had happened between Alex and me…the fact that she believed that whatever happened between us, it had been a _game…_ or the fact that she referred to it as something immoral when it had been the purest thing that my heart had ever come to feel. Of all the things I wanted to say in that moment, a single question escaped from my lips…

"How do you know?" I had only talked about my love for Alex with my father, and even when he did not react very well when learning about it, in his kind heart he found the way to accept it as it was…but there was no way my mother could have known…

"You are not even going to deny it?" She retorted aghast "Did you really fall in love with _that wicked monster_?"

"She is not…" _She is not a wicked monster_ …Every fiber of my body was ready to defend her, but I remembered the damage she had done to me and I changed the course of my words to ask her again… "How do you know?"

"You have brought disgrace to this family…" She did not answer my question, although it had already hit me how she could have find out as she continued talking about all the ways in which I had stained the name of the family "How could you do such thing? I thought that at least we had raised you with a high sense of morality…"

"You…" I hissed with disgust at the realization making her stop. With the recent tragic events I had completely forgotten about that specific matter "You sent those men" I accused her as I recalled the incident in the woods, when some men had come to my rescue in the name of the King, seriously injuring Alex "The ones who were supposed to bring me back to the High Lands…" I knew already that my father had not been part of that scheme to bring me back

"I…I don't know what you are talking about" She tried to deny it of course, but that was the only way she could know about my feelings for Alex, since I had confessed them before those men so they would leave us alone

"Then tell me…how do you know about it?" I inquired as the rage was starting to rise up

"About what?" It was late to playing innocent

"About my love for her…" I recognized openly

"Oh Gods!" She exclaimed horrified holding her hands to her ears like she did not want to hear about it

"You had to do with that failed attempt to rescue me, am I wrong?" There was no way she would ever admit it and I really did not need her to confirm what I already knew, but I did want to know something more "Who else was behind that plot, mother?" I inquired ardently "Answer me!" I yelled at her at one point, not able to endure her silence "House Bloom?"

"You are sick! You have been corrupted by the darkness and in no way you will sit on the throne!" Her words would have hurt me if not because my soul was already crushed with heavy sadness…

"And who will sit on the throne? Lord Bloom?" I asked bitterly, already knowing the answer by Joe's warnings after my father's funeral…

"His son…" It had to be a joke if that idiot was going to keep my throne…my father was surely writhing in his grave with the news. I could not allow it, no matter the consequences "Do you remember Larry?"

"Of course I remember Larry, mother" I retorted with disgust, letting her know that if in any case I remembered Larry, my thoughts of him were not nice at all. My eyes began to burn with rage when finding out the hard truth "You have been conspiring against the throne…against your own daughter!" I threw in her face

"A daughter that I lost when she fell in love with darkness…" She answered back with repudiation "The kingdom does not deserve such punishment to fall on your _stained_ hands…" At last her words hit me hard in the middle of my chest, painfully…

"Stop it!" I had to beg her, finally crushing down, reaching the limit of all I could take "Please stop…"

I did not deserve to be told any of those hurtful things and I did not deserve everything that was happening to me…I had saved the kingdom for a certain destruction…I had sacrificed my life for all of them…I had fallen in love with someone who did not know how to return my feelings…I had been deceived by the person that I thought would never be able to hurt me…I had lost my father and then, my own mother was plotting against me to leave the throne in the hands of another family. I burst into tears filled with rage, pain, sadness, deception, frustration…all of it at the same time. How is it that everything had become so complicated in such a short period of time?

My mother gave me a moment until I was able to catch my breath after the sudden outburst. I made the most of the silence to think about the situation. So Larry was going to sit on the throne…but…why had they tried to rescue me? Why my mother had come to me just five minutes ago behaving so lovingly?

I released a bitter laugh when realizing what was really happening. My mother looked at me with troubled face thinking that maybe I had gone crazy…

"They need me…don't they?" I asked with mockery. House Bloom maybe had the support of the main Lords, but without a doubt, they lacked people's sympathy…to govern without the support of the plain people was an impossible task to carry, at least not in a peaceful way. I, on the other hand, had them on my side…my father was loved by them and it was clear during his funeral that they esteemed me highly too "They need me to rule…"

"They don't need you Piper…House Bloom will take the throne with or without you…" By force, I understood "But we can still get something out of all this…"

"I don't see how…" I replied with sullenness

"An alliance between our houses will allow us to keep our status…" And there it was, her real motives. She was only watching to keep her wealthy position…

"See mother…unlike you, I'm not interested in maintaining a social status…"

"But you care about the people…" She knew my weak point "If you accept the alliance, as it was meant to be from the very beginning, you can reign together with Larry…" I turned my back to her and went to the window. I did not want to hear about that option. I felt trapped again, without any kind of control over my life, like when I was thirteen years old and they had let me know that my future had been decided "He loves you so much…" I snorted in disbelief and asked her sardonically, still looking out the window

"Even after knowing that I fell in love with the _Warden?_ "

"He doesn't know…" That was a surprise, enough to make me turn around to see if she was being serious "He doesn't know about… _her_ …" She repeated with a gesture of disgust before my look of doubt "He doesn't even know about the failed attempt to rescue you…" That had to be true, because Larry at least would have known that Alex was immortal, while the armored men attempted stupidly against her life…

"Wow…" I exhaled as if heavily shocked "Lord Bloom must be really desperate for power to let his son marry a deviant person like me…"

"Don't be cynical, Piper…" She reproved "It's politics…"

"And clearly, you are very good at it…"

"Think whatever you want from me…but you know what? I still think that I have done what I thought was best for us…Many things have happened during your absence Piper…" I did not want to hear her, but for some reason I let her talk, maybe I was just too tired to discuss anymore "Your father's position weakened the moment you left…he had no heirs and he became apathetic to all the problems around him, so little by little he began losing the support and respect of the main houses…" She related calmly "When your father fell ill, the chaos began…" She remembered troubled "Lord Bloom came to me one day and proposed me to rescue you to make the alliance that was always meant to be…you and Larry…the heirs of the two most powerful families in the whole kingdom, reigning together…It was only logical!…" For the split of a second, I was able to understand her point of view and the reasons that led her to stand by Lord Bloom's side "What I never imagined was that you were happy in that place…" She said with a grimace "So the plan suffered a small setback…House Bloom would have to reign without you…of course that changed when you returned…"

"I wish I had never done it…"

"But she got rid of you…" I felt as if I had been slapped on the face "And here you are…with the opportunity to continue with your father's legacy…" She continued oblivious to the damage her words had caused

"Under the shadow of a King…a Queen consort" I thought with revulsion

"Still…a Queen…" She shrugged casually. It made me wonder if that's the reason why she had married my father…a social status "Think about it and do it thoroughly…the kingdom's destiny is in your hands" She said at last, making it clear that the conversation was over, and she prepared to leave the room…

"What happened to Joe?" I got to ask before she opened the door to leave

"He will be judged for conspiring against the crown" She said casually and left, making it quite clear to whom the Crown belonged to then…

"Oh Joe…" I regretted his fate. Surely, he knew too much about House Bloom's plans and probably he had tried to prevent them to take over the power… "Damn it" I cursed out loud when finding myself completely hopeless without being able to help him; I could not even help myself isolated in my room, how was I going to help Joe?…it was a truly desperate situation…

I stood by the window for a long moment, observing the horizon as if there lay the solutions to all my problems, even though my feet hurt terribly after having been standing for so long those past days at the funeral. Then I went to sit in front of the fireplace and hours went by as I thought deeply about the options I had before me; there were not many actually, and the prospect of my future was not very bright. Just as things were, I had only two options…If I did not agree to marry Larry, I would lose the kingdom completely…but if I indeed decided to play along with Lord Bloom and my mother, in some way I could still hold some power and fulfill my father's last wish at least in some small way…but that would mean going against my principles and betraying myself by marrying a man I did not love and that, truth been told, I would never be able to love. Once again, I would have to give my freedom away, and after experiencing the feeling of being under control of my own decisions I did not see myself able to renounce that. Besides, I had to face a moral dilemma…it was not fair to deceive Larry like that; he was just a victim, the only one who did not know what was really happening…

There was a third option; to disappear and leave everything behind…if only _she_ would come to take me back with her

"Gods…Alex…" I invoked her with all my might after hours engrossed in my thoughts, deciding that the third choice was the only viable one. I headed to my bed and sat on the edge; under the pillows, I kept hidden her black coat that she left with me. I took it and brought it to my chest "I need you…please come to me…" I begged closing my eyes and inhaling her faint essence that still remained in the garment " _Warden_ …Can you hear me? Do you even care about me?" I waited a long moment with my heart over the edge, always with the silly hope that she would appear in the end "I need you to help me! You selfish creature! Could you at least do that? After everything I gave you!" I yelled out loud as if that way she was going to finally pay attention to me…

The first days after she left, I had even tried to understand her reasons, clinging to the possibility that maybe she had done it thinking that it was the best for me, completely convinced that she loved me…but then, I started to believe that she did not care at all about me. If she had truly loved me, she would have never abandoned me when I needed her the most. She did not love me, then why the hell did I keep hoping that she would appear at any moment?

The sound of someone knocking at my door startled me deeply as my heart grew with excitement because I immediately thought that it would be her who had finally heard my prayers. Idiot of me for thinking that…if it really had been her, she would not have had the need to knock on the door asking for permission. My heart deflated with the realization as quickly as it had jumped out of emotion with the first knocks…

 _Knock…Knock…Knock_ …Whoever was outside my room waiting for me to open the door, knocked again with insistence. I snorted extremely frustrated… _Is that they are not going to leave me alone for a moment?_ I wondered as I walked strongly towards the door to open it with rage, willing to yell at anyone who was bothering me…but as soon as I saw the face of my visitor, I swallowed the urge to do it, mostly because he was the last person I would have expected in that moment…

"Larry…" I greeted him dejected, without bothering to hide my discontent when I saw him

"Piper…" However, he smiled at me widely, as gentle as ever to then ask me "Is this a bad time?" I shrugged with indifference because from then on every moment would be bad, I was certain about it

"As bad as any other…" I replied astringently causing him a look of sadness on his face

"I'm so sorry Piper…" He suddenly said with great affliction taking me slightly aback "I have not had the opportunity to express my condolences properly for your father's loss" He explained further, maybe before my subtle confusion

"Your absence and your father's were noticed at the funeral…" I retorted bitterly. Lord Bloom and his son had disappeared when the doctor said that there was nothing else to do but to wait…

"And I'm profoundly sorry about that too…believe me…" I could see the authenticity of his words, yet, I needed to direct my anger towards somebody, and he had made the mistake of going to visit me at the worst moment "I wanted to stay by your side, I really did…but…"

"But you and your father were too busy planning how to betray me…" I spit out the words to his face "Isn't like that?"

"You are not being fair…" He scolded me with a manifest frown

"I am not being fair?!" I raised my voice to the top of my lungs to ask in disbelief. It was completely absurd for him to blame me for not being reasonable taking into account the situation in which I found myself

"Piper please, lower your voice…" He widened his eyes as he spoke as if he wanted to communicate something important to me "This is not the best place to talk about this…" His sudden wary attitude reminded me of the way Joe had spoken to me that morning, so cautiously. I made an effort to cool my anger down, taking a deep breath and nodding at him with a gesture of temporary peace "I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk…" He promptly suggested with complicity

"I'm not allowed to leave my room, Larry…" I informed him truly annoyed

"Yes you are…if it's me who orders otherwise…" I glanced at him for that. Then the guards obeyed him more than they obeyed me…how aggravating! "Just so you know…I'm not the one who gave the orders to leave you locked in your room…" He clarified hurriedly, sensing the hatred of my look "We really need to talk..." He pleaded with his eyes before my silence

"Fine!" I agreed at last, although grudgingly, knowing in advance that nothing he said to me could be of help in my situation "Let me grab a coat…is getting cold outside…" I went back into the room and took the closest thing I had to cover myself… _her_ coat. In spite of everything, it granted me a sense of comfort that nothing else could give me at that moment "Let's go…" I indicated Larry when leaving my room…

We walked for a good while without exchanging words. I was too upset to talk calmly, and he was too uncomfortable and nervous before my inevitable hostility towards him. Besides, it was clear then that it was no longer safe to speak within the walls of the palace. We went to the big gardens from the backyard. He offered me a seat on a bench next to a fountain but I did not accept the gesture and remained standing…

"Whatever you have to say, just say it…I'm listening" I told him harshly

"Stop being so tough with me…" He reproached me "I never agreed with taking the throne away from you, Piper…you have to believe me" He looked me openly in the eyes; I knew Larry since we were kids, we grew up together. I knew that he had not been part of that plot "I'm not happy about this decision either, trust me" He added with a grim

"And yet…you will accept the crown, won't you?" Even though he was telling me the truth, I was so annoyed with the whole thing that I didn't care about his stupid opinion or if it was his fault or not

"I don't have any other option…" What a lame excuse!

"You could refuse it" I spit the most obvious option to him, but it only made him laugh as if I had just said nonsense

"Clearly, you don't know _Lord Bloom_ …" It struck me the way he had referred to his own father, so impersonally "You don't know what it is like to grow up with a father that is always disapproving everything you do"

"I grew up with my mother! Trust me, I know!" I told him upset

"But I only had one parent…" Larry's mother had died of fevers when he was only two years old "At least you had your father…" A twinge of pain pierced my chest. I knew my parent was dead, but hearing someone talking about him in the past made the reality so much harder. Larry must have noticed the change in my expression because he immediately softened his tone to continue talking "He was a good man…you must be proud to be his daughter"

"I am…" Tears clouded my eyes despite my attempt to remain composed in front of Larry

"You want to know why I accepted my father's plans to take over the throne?" He retorted "Because if I don't sit on the throne…he will" I frowned deeply, willing to listen "He is my father, and I love him…I do…" He stated "But he would be a _terrible_ King, Piper…" It surprised me his sincere opinion about his father "He does not know about compassion, about taking care of the people, about fair justice…" He explained immersed in his reasons and stopped talking to make a long pause to finally say "But you do…" He said with a mixture of admiration and certainty

"What?" I asked taken aback with his last statement

"There's a lot of your father in you, Piper…he taught you so much…" I was lost with the change of the conversation. Why would he tell me those things if anyway, the crown was not going to be for me "And I...I could not do it alone..." Then in hit me...

"Are you asking me to help you to get the crown?" I inquired surprised by his shamelessness

"No Piper..." He denied, aggrieved for having thought the worst of him "I'm _proposing_ to share it with you..." He corrected, although from my point of view, it meant the same thing "Anyway...Was not this the original plan?" He inquired "You and I were destined to join in marriage and sooner or later we were going to rule this kingdom together, _Pipes_..." The term of endearment sounded so wrong coming from him. I was about to forbid him to call me like that again, wanting to guard the nickname just for her...but it was not time to talk about it...

"I really...don't know if that's what _I_ want, Larry" I expressed solemnly

"But...we were in love..." _No we weren't...you were_...I held the words back "We _are_ in love...aren't we?" He seemed to try to convince himself of it "I mean...I'm still in love with you Piper..." So the moment had come, in which I would have to once and for all break poor Larry's heart...

"I..." _I never loved you Larry_... _no, that is a terrible word choice_ , I thought "I'm not that _girl_ anymore, Larry..." It was the most subtle and honest way I found to let him know that I did not love him back

"What...what do you mean?" He wondered with sadness

"I mean.. _.that_ Piper you are in love with...she is gone. I have changed Larry...I am a completely different person now" I explained with a sense of wisdom

"Well...of course you are a different person..." He acknowledged "I do not even want to think about how terrible these past months have been for you in that...place with that... _monster_ " He finished with a grimace of horror. But if he only knew that those past months had not been terrible at all but the happiest of my life...if he only knew that I had fallen in love with the monster because I had come to discover the most fascinating, tender and complex being under her terrifying facade and that, even though she had broken my heart, the sole idea of imagining myself with someone else that was not her was too painful to bear... "I still don't get it, you know..." He meditated aloud "How is it that she let you go?"

"She..." My voice got stuck. Talking about her made a lump in my throat, and I had to clear it to coninue "She is kinder and more...compassionate...than you can imagine..." He thought about it and nodded

"If you say so..." He granted me unconvinced "The important thing is that you are back and that...We could start all over again..."

"Larry...I don't..." I was about to argue that _that_ would not be possible

"It is not my intention to pressure you...I just want you to at least consider the option..." He clarified "If you marry me, I promise you to do everything in my power to make you happy; that's what I want most in the whole world, and I really think we can be happy..."

"And if I say no?" I wanted to know what would happen if I refused. Larry smiled at me with sadness and exhaled deeply before speaking

"It will hurt...I won't lie to you" He tried to speak with lightness "But I promise I won't hold a grudge against you...at least after some days" He joked weakly making me laugh softly "You are a very important person in my life Piper, and I would like to continue counting on your friendship, no matter what" The honesty of his words moved me and the maturity with which he spoke surprised me greatly "Because...we are friends...right?" He asked tentatively

"We are..." I assured him with a fond smile, as I had no reason not to consider him a good friend. I realized then that he was actually a wonderful person and that maybe I had not wanted to see it before because my unjustified hatred towards him had not let me get to know him better. I had been so busy hating him for so many years that I had come to ruin our childhood's friendship

"I'm happy to know..." His face lighten up after my confirmation "Look...married or not...I think we can do big things for the kingdom Piper...we could continue your father's legacy" He proposed

"I would love that..." I accepted because _that_ was better than nothing. At least he had good intentions by attempting to follow my father's legacy and his concerns about the Kingdom were genuine

"I beg you...do not reject me so quickly" He pleaded at last "Just promise me that you will think about it, please"

"I..." I found myself without reasons to reject his proposal immediately "I will think about it, but I need some time Larry..." I told him "Too many things have happened and, right now I just want..." What did I want? I was too exhausted to even think about what I needed "You want to know what I really want?" He was perplexed by my question, but he nodded paying close attention to my statement "I want to be left alone at least for a day...I want to be able to cry for my father's death without people's inquiring looks...and I want to sleep...for hours" I did not tell him that I needed time for my heart to heal too, still, I had never been so sincere in my life. He looked at me with eyes full of fondness and a sorrowful smile

"I will give you all the time in the world if necessary" He told me thoughtfully "Come on...let me walk you back to your room so that you can rest"

On the way back, I took the moment to tell him what had happened with Joe. He confessed to being aware of the situation but assured me that he was doing everything possible to leave Joe free of charges, claiming that he had acted out of loyalty to his late King, and that it was his duty to watch over me. It was the most I could do for Joe, but I trusted Larry to do something to help him.

I was finally alone in my room, after Larry ordered the guard to keep everybody away from my room because I did not want to be disturbed, until I told otherwise; a small gesture that I greatly appreciated. He wished me a good night and assured me that he would not bother me until I decided to see him. Despite the fatigue, my mind gave me no respite as it worked fast pondering about the latest developments. I thought it was time to start accepting the new scenario and reconsider my choices thoroughly. I went to light the fire in the fireplace and sat in front of it to observe the flames thoughtfully; a habit that I had acquired from her. Whenever something troubled her, I always knew where to find her; sitting in front of the library's fireplace. Then, I would go to her and sit on her lap, and we could spend hours looking at the fire without daring to change our positions. The chair where I was sitting felt too big for just one person, as the rest of things in my life...everything felt so big and empty without anyone to share with. I took a deep breath to fill the hollowness in my chest, even with only air and I tried to leave aside that line of thought, realizing that if I remained stuck in the past I was not going to be able to move forward. Not that I was ready to do it, but at least I knew that, for my sake, I would have to start overcoming the ghost of her memories...

I got up from the chair and walked to stand by the fire and let myself warm up for a while, mesmerized by the beauty of the dancing flames. With one thought in mind, I began to shed her coat slowly but unfalteringly, sure that it was the right thing to do, the smartest thing to do...I threw the coat into the fireplace and as the flames engulfed the precious piece of clothing, I felt a twinge of regret piercing my heart; if the fire had not been so voracious, I would have dared to take the partly scorched coat from the fire, but it was too late. Maybe, for better or worse, _it was time to let her go_ …


End file.
